An Illusive Truth: Part 1
by Professor Horatio Hufnagel
Summary: PART 2 AVAILABLE! Epic Romy ...read the last chapter Joseph's envolvement in Rogue's life is taking a toll on Gambit. Can Rogue, in turn, find a happy balance between the two men? Rogue x Remy x Joseph x XMen MY 1st FANFIC! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Just Practice

_**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the Marvel Characters, etc. If you have most likely heard any of the subject content before, then I didn't make it up. Don't sue, I have no money._

* * *

**DEAR READER:** There are a few **important** things you should know...I'll make this as short as possible so you'll actually stop to read it.  
I don't read many X-Men comics, so I did a lot of research to make this story work Therefore...  
Set sometime around Gambit (3rd Series) #22, 24  
Some storyline content has been tinkered with (ex, Joseph didn't die)  
WILL BE A TRILOGY (this particular part is all pretty much angst, but sets the premis for the next two Parts, which will have _much _more substantial plots and intruigue...it all ties in at the end...you'll see!

Enjoy!

* * *

"C'mon chère, concentrate. You can do dis." Gambit urged Rogue, just inches away from her own face. Even being blindfolded, she couldn't help but feel comforted with his New Orleans drawl and his firm grip around her wrists. But a brisk wind that brushed across her face quickly brought her back to reality. She was standing atop the roof of the institute for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, wearing a blindfold and no gloves over her hands, with Remy LeBeau gently gripping her wrists.

"Remy, this is stupid. It didn' work on the ground, and Ah don' see how it's gonna work up here. Now why don' we just quit before yah get hurt, hmm?" How could Gambit ask her to concentrate on relaxing when she was concentrating so hard on keeping her balance? She knew that just one slip and her skin could easily graze his hands. Although she was blessed with unimaginable strength and the ability to fly, she would willingly trade them both for skin to skin contact. This, however hard she tried, would never likely become a reality. Every time she touched someone's bare skin, she would feed on their energy and absorb their powers. This could either render them permanently powerless, weak, or possibly even dead.

"No, Rogue. We gonna work t'rough dis. De Professor believe dis will work, an' so do I. If we can jus' get you to trust me an' stop t'inkin' bout de bad stuff dat _could_ happen, you might be able to control dem powers of yours. Dat's what holdin' you back, chère. You doubtful it gonna work, so it won't. An' if it mean dat we gotta stand on a roof for you to realize dat I ain't gonna let nuttin' bad happen, den so be it. We haven't fallen, your hand din' slip yet, chère. Now relax…"

Gambit slowly lowered his two gloved fingers over the palm of her right hand, which Rogue quickly withdrew in a heartbeat.

"Aw, now dat was just my gloved finger, girl." Gambit sighed.

"Ah'm sorry sugah. I jus' _don't think_ Ah can do this right now. Ah mean, we've been up here for hours and Ah just seem tah be gettin' worse." Frustrated, Rogue tugged off her blindfold with her free hand and tucked it in Gambit's front coat pocket. She then wrapped her arm around his torso and flew him safely to the ground.

Being so close to him again felt extremely good, something that they had both avoided for months. What once seemed to be an innocent, genuine relationship was now pitted with lies and periods of deceit. Sure, she still had feelings for Remy, but she wasn't sure how she could base a relationship on mistrust. The topic of Gambit's alliance with Mr. Sinister was still an open wound, and the fact that Rogue had left Gambit stranded in the Antarctic was no better than salt. And really, that was just the beginning. Years of being an 'on-again/off-again' couple had left them both with some, shall we say, _interesting_ stories. Basically, they both needed some time apart to sort through their guilt, and only _then_ could they possibly find some solace in one another. It was a complicated story that still made Rogue's head spin.

"_Why de hell she keep pushing me away? Remy know it just a matter of time till we work trough de kinks. Fine. So Remy give her de time she need, we take dis slowly."_ He thought to himself.

Gambit's lips broke into a wide, genial smile. "You don' give yourself enough credit. Gambit knows you got a lotta power, an' a lotta strength. You strong enough t'do anyt'ing you put your pretty little mind to. You'll see chèrie. You'll control your power one day."


	2. Danger

"Whuz wrong, mon ami? You movin' extra sluggishly today." Gambit teased Wolverine as he jumped down from the metal fire escape on the nearby building. The corner of his eye caught a bulky figure masked in shadows dart by, so Remy pushed his throbbing feet onward as he sped up his pace to a run.

"I'm bein' easy on yuh gumbo, cuz I can smell your fear" Logan sneered tantalizingly, rounding a particularly sharp corner in the maze of alleyways before him. He ran full speed into the dark shadows of the towering buildings, stealing a glance behind himself to see if he was being followed. He turned his attention around just in time to skid to a stop, just inches before a brick wall. He stood there for a moment contemplating where to run next, when he heard littered paper on the street crumple ever so softly under someone's foot.

_Crap! He was cornered._

Thoughts and strategies were zooming around aimlessly in Logan's mind. Finally he chose to speak. "You may be fast, Cajun, but I assure you, I got them other things going for me too."

"Ah, oui, you hear me good, but dat don' get you outta dis mess, now do it?" Gambit stood with his arms crossed, staring mockingly at Wolverine. Wolverine snarled and swiveled on his heals, brandishing the six long blades protruding from his fists.

Gambit took a step back to brace himself, then asked "When dis turn into a fight? Gambit t'ought it only a friendly game of hide an' seek, non?" He slowly drew a playing card out of the inner lining of his brown trench coat, letting it emit a slight, eerie glow to show he was ready for anything.

They just glared at each other for a few moments. They were stalemated. "We done?" Wolverine growled fiercely. He hated the fact that he couldn't wipe that smug little grin off of Remy's face, but then who would he have to run around in the Danger Room with? Logan lowered his claws as the surrounding buildings and alleyways dissolved into sleek metal panels that lined a spacious room. Both X-men headed for the door and down the corridors, bickering back and forth about who had truly won.

"You were cornered, homme. No where t'go. Dis don' sit any clearer, I won. Now pay up."

"I was only cornered cuz you were blocking th'way. One second later and I wouldda teared you a new face, kid. Then we'd see how fast you'd lemme pass by you. Besides, I'm not payin'. I couldda taken you, no question." Logan knew it was a lame argument, but he couldn't face the fact that he had actually been beaten by the thief, when just last week he had had Gambit on the ground, defenseless, with his metal claws an inch away from the sweating Cajun's nose.

Logan waited for Gambit to retort back, but heard nothing. In fact, he had just realized that he was quite a few paces ahead of Remy, who now stood planted to the ground, staring pointedly ahead of him, his fists clenched into tight balls.

Wolverine followed his gaze down the corridor, until his eyes landed on Rogue. She was leaning casually against the wall. Large tufts of auburn hair blocked Rogue's face from clear view, but he could still tell that she was smiling sweetly at a disheveled looking Joseph, who was nervously trying to talk to her. It even looked as though they were so immersed in conversation that they hadn't noticed Wolverine and Gambit traipsing down the halls.

They stood too far away to pick up any of the conversation the couple was having, but neither Gambit nor Wolverine would have needed to, for they both had a strong inclination as to what they may have been talking about. It was no secret that Joseph had been eyeing Rogue ever since he moved into the mansion, but he knew she was always off limits. But now…

Wolverine walked slowly back to Gambit, placed a gruff hand on his shoulder, and gave him a slight, but deliberate pat of condolence.

* * *

Rogue felt her arm growing stiff against the cool wall that she was leaning her weight onto. Joseph had pulled her into the abandoned corridor just moments before, explaining that he wanted to talk to her about a pressing issue. Out of mere curiosity she consented to it, though as soon as he began to talk she regretted ever agreeing. Being a bundle of nerves around her, Joseph began to stammer, trying to push out disjointed sentences. Rogue had caught the gist of it, though.

"I think a lot, Rogue…well, of course I think…but about you…" Her attention drifted in and out of the conversation. She found it sweet that Joseph felt so much for her that he would become so nervous, but she couldn't consciously listen to the man for more that a few seconds. "…Uhh, I mean about us eating…for dinner…would you care to join me? For Dinner? Like, on a date? I know you're still dealing with, …more appropriately to say, getting over a serious relationship …"

Her meandering eyes focused sharply on the man standing at the end of the hall. Remy was staring at her. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. Careful not to get caught looking at him, she turned her body towards the Cajun's direction and stuck out her hip. She then decided to gently rub the back of her neck, only to let her hand run down the side of her body until her arm fell weightlessly to her side. Joseph seemed to become more flustered, trying to gain control of his wavering voice.

* * *

Gambit felt a gnawing, sickly feeling grow at the pit of his stomach as he watched Rogue toss her streaked hair from her face. Perhaps it was a curse that he knew her so well. She always would become conscious of her hair when she was flirting. Or how next she would bat her eyelashes that extra time, trying to lose you in her deep, emerald eyes...

He felt a pang of lust rise up to his chest, causing him to look away quickly, before tears could come. That was obviously over for him now. He had always hoped that they would reconcile, let their problems from the past dissipate, as their promisingly bright future together would outshine their dark secrets and lies. "_Obviously dat not in de cards now, Remy._" He thought sadly. "_She flirtin' wit 'him. She made her decision t'move on._" The realization seemed to sit as a heavy ball caught in his throat, making him swallow uncomfortably._ "Just wish we were past all dese damn games. Rubbing it in Remy's face… Merde, it hurt enough already..."_

* * *

Rogue nodded emptily at times that felt like comfortable pauses in the conversation, but she was really only paying attention to Gambit. This time, she decided she would try to flutter her eyelids in his direction. "_That oughtta make thah Cajun pay attention. He loves when Ah do it._" she thought rather slyly. Over the past few days, she was half expecting him to ask her out again, after she sent the signal of course. He would always move at Rogue's pace now, trying so hard not to scare her away, to gain her trust. As she turned her head slightly to steal a look in his direction, she saw him purposely divert his eyes. A wave of shock, anger and grief washed over her like a fever. For that single moment, she felt like she wanted to cry.

* * *

"Le's jus' go." Remy whispered to Logan in a solemnly broken voice. With that, Gambit turned and disappeared in the hall to his left, trying to place as much distance between him and Rogue as possible. Wolverine shook his head sadly and followed.

* * *

Rogue stared blankly down the empty hall. She didn't know what to say. Never in a million years would she have thought he would leave. Rush up and cut Joseph off, maybe... put on the ol' Cajun charm…but leave? "_He must be done with me. Ah coulddah sworn Ah…he still wanted tah... Yoah done, Rogue. He's telling yah he don't wanna chase after yah anymore."_

"Rogue? What do you think?" Joseph's voice snapped her focus back to reality.  
"Oh, uhh…Yah know what, Joe? Ah may just take you up on yoah offah, after all."


	3. A Wild Guess, Who's the Joker?

Gambit sat in the foyer of the X-mansion shuffling his playing cards from one hand to the other. Half an hour before, he had sat in the darkness alone, immersed in his own thought. As time progressed, other X-men filtered in and kept him company. Even though he shared few words with them, their presence was comforting. Bobby Drake was freezing Wolverine's claws while Logan was testing his strength, trying to retract them. Jubilee found endless entertainment in edging the two on with furtive comments and awed exclamations. Hank was quietly reading the day's newspaper, as Jean snuggled on Scott's chest, the two occasionally whispered softly to one another. Kurk Wagner and Ororo were debating two sides of a very deep and philosophical conversation about mutant ethics. Bishop sat shining his boots so that he could see his own stern reflection in them.

"Damn, that's cold. But I did it Iceman. Thought I wouldn't but I did. Pretty good, eh?" Wolverine beamed.

"Nice. But I really should be trying to freeze your big mouth shut." Bobby grumbled.

"Oh Bobby, stop your stupid complaining!" Jubilee ridiculed Iceman, as Wolverine puffed his chest out. "Besides," she continued teasingly "you already know there isn't anything we can do about Wolvie's mouth!" Logan's chest deflated as he shot her a reproachful look.

"Nightcrawler, I cannot, in good conscience, make excuses for the acts of humans. I have experienced their scorn first hand, and do not believe that they would ever think more of us than an enemy, no matter how hard we may try to reconcile our differences."

"Perhaps you are right, Storm. But maybe it is vorth continuing a battle, if not for all ze humans, but for ze children of ze next generation. Let us vash zeir eyes of anger and help zem see de light, frauline."

Gambit couldn't help but smile weakly. After all of the opportunities they had to mistrust him, the X-men still chose to stand by him as family, and be with him when he needed them the most. Right now was definitely one of those times. His eyes darted back and forth between the clock and the door. Rogue and Joseph told all of the X-men that they would be returning from their first date around ten o'clock in the evening. It was now nearly two hours later, and no one had heard a word from the couple. As each minute ticked by, Remy found himself trying to rationalize the situation to the best of his ability.  
"_Deir car musta got stuck somewhere. Maybe, dey miss de first movie, an' had t'catch de later show. Or maybe…"  
_

His train of thought was interrupted as muffled voices grew louder from the porch outside of the mansion. As the doorknob turned, everyone in the foyer became silent. When the door opened, Joseph held his finger to his lips and shushed Rogue while she stepped over the threshold giggling.

"Oh!" Rogue was now focusing on the congregation of mutants that were all staring at her as she tried desperately to suppress giddy laughter. "Ah hope ya'll didn' wait up foah us. Was anyone sleepin'?"

"No, it is quite alright" Storm spoke first. "Did you have a nice evening?"

"It was amazin'!" Rogue gushed.

"We didn't even end up seeing a movie as we had originally planned." Joseph added tentatively, obviously just as eager and cheerful as Rogue was.

"Aftah dinner, Joe an' Ah headed to the park so we could watch the sun set. An' aftah that, we just walked around the city talkin' about stuff. Oh, but the sunset! We just sat there for a while, starin' at all the colours in the sky! Ah've _nevah_ _seen_ somethin' so beautiful!"

"I have." Joseph looked into Rogue's gorgeous eyes and blushed. Bobby thought this an appropriate time to stick his index finger in his mouth in disgust. Jubilee candidly hit him over the head. However, Rogue didn't seem to notice anyways. She had been taken aback by Joseph's comment and leapt into his arms, kissing him squarely on the lips. The entire room held their breaths. Bobby choked on his finger. Gambit's fifty-two cards flew into the air, only to fall haphazardly to the ground, littering the floor.

"Rogue!" Storm breathed.

"It's okay everyone." Rogue quickly added as she read the uneasy looks that flashed at her from across the room. "Look what Joseph made me!" She outstretched her arm to show off the bright yellow bracelet she was wearing on her wrist. A small red light flashed at an interval of five seconds to show that it was on.

"I fashioned it after the neck braces worn in Genosha. It is a lot more comfortable to wear as jewelry, mind you. Now, Rogue can engage in skin-to-skin contact whenever she wears the activated bracelet."

Everyone in the room appeared to be struggling with their emotions. They wanted to be supportive and share in Rogue's happiness. However, this seemed to be more of a way to solve a problem, as if Rogue's mutancy was nothing more than exactly that; a problem.

"Fascinating" Hank McCoy decided to jump in and offer some sort of impartial reaction.

Rogue beamed momentarily, then spoke again. "Well, it's gettin' late. Ah'm gonna go to bed. See y'all in the mornin'. G'night!" And with that, she floated gracefully up the staircase humming softly to her self.

Joseph turned curtly to the other X-men. "Hope you all sleep well." He then headed to his dormitory at the opposite end of the hall. Once he was well out of earshot, everyone seemed to begin breathing again, but the awkward strain still seemed to linger amongst them. "This is not good." Jean shook her head.

"Gambit?" Jubilee had walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. His eyes, although glowing a fiery red, appeared to be glazed over as he stared aimlessly into space. In one motion, he rose to his feet and briskly walked from the room.

"We must be there for him, every step of the way." Storm addressed her fellow X-Men, and they all nodded in agreement.


	4. Flowers and a Bus Ticket

"Look at the wonderful roses Joseph got me! Aren't they stunnin'? They're a pre-birthday gift!" Rogue fumbled with a glass vase as she tried to arrange a dozen yellow roses in it with one hand over the kitchen sink. Her other hand was tightly clutching Joseph's hand. Realizing it was nearly impossible to maneuver so many flowers while holding glass, she reluctantly broke free of Joseph, and began separating the petals to give the flora a more voluptuous and fuller appearance.

"Yes, they certainly are lovely." Storm agreed submissively. She was keeping one eye on Gambit. He was sitting at the kitchen table opposite an anxious Jean, who was discretely moving the salt and pepper shakers away from him. It wouldn't do much good though, because he was already holding a hot coffee that appeared to be bubbling and emanating a faint and dangerous glow.

"They remin' me of spring!" Rogue continued, tearing herself away from the flowers, and wrapping her arms around Joseph. He smiled broadly and embraced her hug in reciprocation. They broke apart only at a loud, gruff snort from Gambit.

"What? _What?_ You find somethin' funny with mah _flowers _now, _too_?" Rogue spat at Gambit, who did not look very amused. He had been taking pot shots at Joseph ever since they returned from their first date.

"Non, chèrie. Dey pretty. Spring is nice, but not what Joseph goin' for, neh? Yellow means friendship, not love. An' roses, dey too commercial f' you. Your favourite is de carnations, non? Dey remind you of freedom and raw beauty at de same time." Gambit didn't look at Rogue as he nonchalantly sipped his coffee, but he could feel her fuming. He smiled inside.

"_Stop it, Remy!_" Rogue's voice grew alarmingly stern, before she turned to Joseph and lovingly muted her tone. "Ah like roses jus' the same, sugah. Thank Yah."

Gambit stared at the coffee mug, but did not drink any more. His hint of a smug expression had quickly faded away. Instead, his jaw had clenched tight and a surge of pain had shot across his expressive eyes.

Rogue had seen this look before; several times, in fact. Every time he tried to get a dig in about her relationship, any snide comments he would throw her way, she shot him down with utmost resentment. All she wanted was for him to stop verbally abusing her boyfriend!

Well, she _did _like when Gambit was jealous; it proved to her that he still cared for her, and that their old relationship had meant something to him. But he had grown nasty, and it was going a little too far. "_Just like that damn Cajun to want what he can't have."_

Although she didn't enjoy being so harsh with Remy, her tactics proved effective. He always stopped immediately, no questions asked. But she felt that a little bit of him seemed to die inside, and each one of his attacks would be weakened thereafter. There was no mistaking it, she felt an underlying wave of guilt, but would push her upset and worry to the back of her mind each time, letting it build in silence.

* * *

That evening, Rogue ventured down from her room to the first floor of the X-Mansion. She had been reading a romance novel in her room as an escape, but her eyes grew tired and watery. Reluctantly, she shut off her bedside table lamp and decided to go down to the kitchen for a late snack. On the way, she found Storm and Wolverine standing by the door with Gambit, who was carrying a duffle bag under his left arm. Rogue's stomach flipped, and she suddenly felt nauseous.

"_Oh_ _No, Ah finally did it. Ah finally pushed the poor Cajun so hard that he's runnin' again."_ Immediately her thoughts of angst developed into anger. _"He's runnin' again. All he evah does is run. Ah can't trust 'im foah anything, 'cept tah run away!"_

"Yoah leavin' so soon, Swamp Rat?" Rogue finally spoke, her voice cold and bitter.

"Yeah, t'New Oleans. Got some stuff dat I gotta do der. I be back soon enough."

This time it was Rogue's chance to scoff. "Sure, yah will. See you in a month or two."

Wolverine tried to talk some sense into Rogue and calm her down before things got too ugly. "He's only leaving for a few days, kid. Don't get yourself all worked up."

"Rogue, I be back before your birt'day, petite. Y'know Gambit wouldn' miss dat f'anyting. Gambit promise, wit his whole heart." He spoke in a genuinely loving tone, hoping that it would comfort her a bit. Unfortunately, she only narrowed her lids and stared forebodingly at his red-on-black eyes.

Remy sighed and turned back to Wolverine and Storm. "Stormy, Wolvie." He nodded to each of them, and slipped out of the front door into the dark night.


	5. Returning Just In Time

It had been a week since Gambit had left for New Orleans, without a mention as to what he was planning to do. This, of course, left much up to the imagination. Whether she was shuffling through magazines, shopping with the other X-Men, or spending alone time with Joseph, Rogue couldn't help fabricate long and elaborate stories in her mind to make sense of his unexplained trip. During the past two days, she seemed to manifest feelings of fear that Remy had gotten hurt or fallen in with the wrong crowd of mutants.

Her eyes were now moving rhythmically back and forth, skimming the pages of the latest edition of Vogue (No, I don't own the rights to this magazine at all), but Rogue couldn't seem to get passed the first few paragraphs. She would be on autopilot, going through the motions of reading but not actually absorbing anything. Soon she would realize that she got caught up in thought, and would backtrack a few sentences. It became a vicious cycle, but she refused to put down the magazine, for that would mean she would have to own up to the fact that she was thinking about him, couldn't stop thinking about him…

Soon she was lying down on her bed, her head resting on her pillow. Her eyes were growing tired and strained, and her arms ached as she tried to prop the magazine up higher so that she could still read the article. It was no use; her eyelids began to fall as if they were filled with lead.

* * *

She awoke hours later by loud voices from the mansion's front entrance. She groggily turned her body to face her alarm clock. _Oh mah! Ah was out fah three whole hours!_ She swung her legs around to the edge of the bed, and shuffled out of her dormitory, making her way to the staircase. Moments later she stood dead still, not even daring to breathe. He was home, and a congregation of X-Men had come to meet Gambit at the door. The most distinct voice was Jubilee, who was animatedly talking a mile a minute about the new record she had accomplished in the Danger Room during his absence. 

Rogue took a deep breath in. She knew she would have to face them all sooner or later. After the way she had behaved not so long ago, she had hoped the topic would resurface _later, as far later as possible!_ However, her back was now pinned against a wall, and she had no where to run. She slowly descended down the steps.

"Ah, so the Cajun returns." She chided. Gambit's eyes shot directly to hers, and he just stood there momentarily at a loss of words. Finally, he swallowed hard and brought himself to respond.

"Well hullo der, chèrie. Gambit wonderin' where you ran off to."

"Nah, see apparently thah's yoah job, Swamp rat."

Jubilee, reading the tension circulating in the room and becoming evermore desperate to change the topic, pointed to the bright red shopping bag hanging in Remy's hand. "Hey Gambit, what's this?"

"Sorry petite. Can't say." He mused lightly.

"OooOOoo! Moah secrets he's keepin' from us. How bland an' predictable."

Gambit rolled his eyes in exasperation, and then turned briskly to Jubilee. "Fine!" he sparred, "Dis be Rogue's birt'day present." He cocked his head to the side slightly, staring defiantly back at Rogue. "Ya happy now, chère?"

"Bu'….Ah...whah?" She stammered incoherently. Rogue was definitely caught of guard. "Don' tell me yah wen' all th'way back tah N'Awlins jus' tah get me a birthday gift!?" She asked, voice cracking with emotion. Her insolence seemed to dissolve into a form of sentiment, laced with shame.

"Mais, Oui." Gambit shifted uncomfortably. He had suddenly become aware of how hot the room felt, and how all his fellow teammates were watching his intimate life unfold as if it were a daytime television soap. "I'm going upstairs to change, put my baggage away. Den I be back down in a moment, mon ami."

"Well, this is a good time to start dinner." Jean announced. "I believe it's Iceman and Wolverine's turn to cook." The entire X-Men gathering moaned in unison, and proceeded to the kitchen. Surely they knew Bobby and Logan's choice of menu by now, and had grown accustomed to either lending a hand with the meal, or choke back the cold macaroni and cheese that was made with more than enough for leftovers.

As Gambit ascended the stairs, Rogue couldn't help but watch him. She felt utterly bewildered by the many feelings and emotions perpetually swirling inside of her these past few weeks. Now they were coming to a head. "_How deep do mah feelings run? How much does he really care about me? Whah should Ah care? ... _

…_How many women **did** he sleep with in N'Awlins???"_ She let out a minute sigh and smile, as she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. Lost in thought completely, she didn't notice the tall figure that had fallen back from the migrating X-Men. Joseph could see it in her eyes, the look had returned, most definitely as…love. It was a far cry from how she often stared into his own eyes, seemingly lackluster. Joseph knew she cared for him; she really did. Nevertheless, there was always that reservation in her voice, her way of disassociating herself with Joseph's emotions. "_I just need to push her in the right direction. I'd be the best choice for her anyways. She just needs to see that._" He weaved the tiny black box around his fingers in his pants pocket.

Joseph placed his best foot forward and spoke instantaneously. "Rogue, darling, I really need to speak to you."

Rogue peeled her eyes away from the now vacant staircase to look squarely at Joseph. "Sure, sugah. What is it?"

He drew in a short breath, and then Joseph's mouth began to move as if it were independent from his mind, racing through consonants and vowels, barely allotting time for much needed breaks between words.

"Rogue, I...loveyouandItrulyhopeyoulovemetoo…you'rethebestthingthateverhappenedtomebutIfeelthat -"

"Jesus Joe, slow that motor mouth of yoahs down! Breath, whah don'tcha?!"

Again he drew in a full lung of air, but it appeared a pointless effort; his breathing became rapid and shallow. Firmly closing his eyes, he lowered to one knee and withdrew the velvet box.

"Please be my wife. I love you and can offer you the world, so marry me Rogue." He hurriedly cracked open the box, unveiling a large diamond ring inside. As Rogue's eyes swelled wide with shock, they caught the diamond's twinkle.

"Uhh…Joe Ah don't think that Ah'm…"

"Darling, I'm the only one who can offer you choice. Just think! I'm the one that can offer touch, that can offer you a family …" He knew now that the subtle glimmer in her eye was no longer that of the diamond, but was a flicker, or rather a twinge of hope. He went in for the kill…

"…and the only one that can offer you a normal life."


	6. Fortune Cookies Never Lie

It was Logan who initially heard Rogue's squeals of joy, but it wasn't long before all of the X-Men had rushed into the foyer, anxious looks plastered on their faces. Even Remy had come bolting down the flight of stairs, and after learning that no one was hurt, now stood in the doorway, leaning against the threshold with his arms crossed and his eyes faintly aglow. All eyes were on Rogue, whose cheeks flushed brightly as she wrapped her right arm around Joseph's neck.

"What is it Rogue? Is everything alright?" Storm questioned fervently, everyone listening keenly.

"No Ah'm fahn! We're both fahn…it's just…well…" the lines of her lips broadened into a wide, genial smile. "…well…Joseph an' Ah were talkin' and…he proposed! …An' Ah said yes!" Rogue outstretched her left arm and flaunted her new engagement ring. She waited for a rush of excited talk and congratulations to overwhelm her, but the only thing _closest_ to recognition that she received was a muffled gag and cough from Scott.

"Well?" Rogue probed, waiting for some type of verbal response.

Logan glanced over his shoulder, only to find himself staring at the empty doorframe where Remy had once stood. Rogue was becoming increasingly annoyed now. Not one person had said anything, whether encouraging or not, since she had spoken last. "WELL???"

Wolverine promptly looked back at Rogue, and was the first to break the silence. "That's …uhh…great kiddo." he mumbled. The others broke from their trances and followed his lead.

"Vonderful, Rogue! Zat is great news!" Kurt offered, followed by a flood of support issuing from his colleagues.

Joseph finally spoke. "I want to take everyone out for a fancy dinner tonight, as an early birthday party for Rogue, and to celebrate Gambits homecoming and our engagement."

An awkward and hushed silence fell over the crowd _again_, just as Jean steered the conversation to safety. "Sounds like a fantastic idea, Joseph. No one was looking forward to dinner tonight, anyways."

"Hey! My cooking's not _that_ bad." Bobby muttered indifferently.

Jean shot him a sour expression, rolled her eyes and continued unfazed. "So, let's all go get into some nice eveningwear. _Hurry_!" Everyone shuffled off in different directions, but Ororo grabbed Logan's arm and spoke to him quietly under her breath. "Where is Gambit? I did not see him anywhere."

Wolverine replied "He was here, but when Rogue…well… sigh …I smell him upstairs. He's in his room."

Storm closed her eyes as wrenching guilt flashed across her face. As she opened them again, she spoke softly "Go talk to him. He needs a friend…"  
Wolverine opened his mouth to protest, but her eyes bore deep into his, and her hand's grip tightened around his arm. "Wolverine, I must get ready. And you are his friend! He needs our support now, more than ever!"  
"Alright! Fine! I'll go! He better not start with all that emotional bullshit, though! That's your department, 'Ro." Wolverine headed towards the stairs, mumbling irritably the entire way up.

When he reached Remy's door, he knocked lightly. "Cajun, I know you're in there. Hell, I can smell ya. Open th'door." No one answered and Wolverine grimaced. "_I dun' have to be a genius to tell this ain't gonna be easy._" He shifted his weight on his feet, and began running his thumb over his knuckles. It was taking all of his patience to refrain from bursting down the door, but he could empathize with the kid. He, too, had been burned before.

"We're…uh…all goin' out for a nice dinner. _All_ of us wantcha there. And dress smart." He called through the polished wood. Although given no response, Logan knew that he had heard him. With that, Wolverine trudged off to his own room to fix his attire. "_I sure as hell hope Roguie knows what she's doing._" He shook his head and hung it low as he closed his door to change.

Half an hour later, everyone was making their way to the foyer once more, dressed fashionably in elegant eveningwear. Wolverine took one more admiring peek at his mirror as he fixed his shirt cuffs. He was sporting a grey pant suit with a powder blue collared shirt, and a teal striped tie. The colors accented his wild hair, which he attempted to tame with gel. Prior to joining everyone, he headed towards Gambit's room again, hoping to persuade him to come, even if it was the last minute. But before he could even knock, the door swung open forcefully and the Cajun stepped out, dressed and ready to go. He wore a black pant suit with a maroon shirt that was opened a few buttons at the neck. His hair was pulled back neatly into a low ponytail. Remy swiftly closed the door behind himself and, careful not to make eye contact with Logan, headed towards the stairs with his head hung low. "_Ah, so it's gonna be dinner and a show tonight, eh?!_" Wolverine mused to himself, as he followed closely behind.

* * *

However, their night out was rather uneventful, contrary to what many X-men would have thought as soon as they saw Gambit traipse down the steps, his eyes glowing a piercing red. He was keeping to himself, barely speaking or looking at anyone. This seemed to annoy Rogue the most. Why, after all she had begged and pleaded and threatened, was she upset that he was acting submissively? Her fiancé was avidly discussing mutant rights with his fellow colleagues, too busy to notice Rogue's distracted glances. She glowered at Remy from across the round table, as she clung on to Joseph's arm to her left. 

"_Why can't he jus' be happy for me an' Joe?"_ Her harsh stare suddenly evolved into a look of sincere concern. "_Or why can't he jus' be happy? Ah hate seein' him lahke this."_ Anna Marie watched as a wisp of bang fell across his face, as he continued to stare at his plate. She couldn't help but admit that he looked handsome, what with his chiseled and brawny physique being highlighted by his stiff-collared top.

Apparently the waitress had also shared her sentiment, and attended to their table more often than necessary, using the time to 'accidentally' brush up against his shoulders, or breath seductively down his neck. This, of course, did not sit well with Rogue. She had half a mind to run over and punch the waitress right in her pretty little face. When all else had failed, the young girl unbuttoned her white uniform blouse a tad, and let her mane of strawberry blonde locks out of her low work ponytail. When Remy did not show even the slightest acknowledgement or feigned interest, Rogue smiled haughtily. Gambit was always one to recognize, and act on, a women flirting with him, she was sure of it. Instead, he chose to flat-out ignore her. But why Rogue found herself grinning smugly, she couldn't justify. She quickly jerked her mind awake and turned her attention to the man on her left, _"Mah fiancé"_ she reminded herself.

Before they left the Chinese restaurant, Joseph called the waitress over for the bill. She nodded curtly, and began clearing away the finished dishes from the table. She left with a pile of plates balanced on her arms, and a smirk smeared across her face. Moments later, the girl placed the black bill tray gently in front of Joseph, and was making her way around the table, personally handing out fortune cookies. When she reached Gambit, she took extra care that her chest grazed over his right shoulder as she reached from behind to hand him his cookie. Gambit seemed unfazed by the contact, but Rogue's cheeks flushed red to match her scarlet cocktail dress. Fortunately or unfortunately, Joseph had busied himself with the bill moments before, far too absorbed with head calculations to take notice.

Yet one thing had caught Gambit's eye. A small piece of white paper was awkwardly sticking out of his fortune cookie. As everyone broke their cookies and passed around their fortunes, Remy grabbed hold of the paper and gently pulled it out of the cookie, beginning to unfold it at ever crease.

Even as Rogue was listening to her friends read their fortunes aloud, she watched Gambit out of the corner of her eye. He stared at the note for several minutes, thinking, and then discretely folded it back up once more, pushing the note back into the slender crack in the cookie. He placed it back on the table in front of him, hoping to make it appear that the cookie went untouched.

Once everyone stood from the circular table and headed to the front of the restaurant to leave, Rogue let her curiosity get the best of her. With her back to the front door of the restaurant, she rested her purse on the table, calmly pulled the note out of the last remaining fortune cookie, and vigorously unfolded it. Suddenly Rogue found herself masking a vicious leer behind her hand.

"_Her phone numbah. Hmmph. Sorry girl, Remy ain't interested._" She hastily folded up the note again, and pushed it back into the fortune cookie.

"You coming, Rogue?" Joseph called from the front of the restaurant.

"Just a sec, Sugah." She called over her shoulder, bringing her hands to her purse, pretending to rummage through it. After a moment or so of fake groping, she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked towards the front door, a small but confident swagger in each step she took from thereon in.

* * *

OOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOO

* * *

**_Catch your interest yet? Here's the deal, I have a bunch of the next chapters all ready to go!! This was just your beginning taste. Here's what you have to do to get the next ones...can you guess? REVIEW! If I get a bunch to start with, I'll even post some more tomorrow or the day after...I'm quick! The more you review, the more motivated I'll be to keep going. Don't just sit there, get cracking!_**


	7. Morning Cup of Grime

Hey Everyone we're off to a good start! Thnx for the comments, I get so excited every time I see I have a new one! **Southern Devil**, this update's for you. And you pose a very interesting question **RogueFreak**. No, not brainwashed. It's just a bit of inner turmoil, or something to that effect. Honestly, I can't think of a good reason the two shouldn't be together myself, but then that would disrupt my entire chain of events that are to follow in the next two Parts of the trilogy (teehee). **RG Marie**, the answer is maybe/maybe/yes. **Hawaiichick**, would I have it any other way? And **Grin Reaper,** I'm glad someone finally said what we're all thinking...and, you had it right the first time. ;)  
Remeber, more reviews more updates! Spread the word!

* * *

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel

* * *

It had been days since any of the X-Men had seen Gambit, let alone spoken to him. Occasionally, the odd person would see him leaving the kitchen with food at unusual hours of the day, but that was pretty much it. He hid in his room, away from everyone and anyone. Rogue, on the other hand, was spending more and more time with Joseph, doing things that she never would have done herself. She, too, was rarely spotted around the mansion. Whenever she had a free moment to herself, she would lie down, or sit and stare lethargically into space, looking more tired as days progressed.

And it was just a few days ago that she had finally snapped. Storm, Jean and Jubilee had taken Rogue out to a wedding gown boutique in search of the perfect dress. After hours of scouring the racks, Jean mentally called her three friends to her side as she held up a pearly white dress, smiling from ear to ear. "This is it!"

For five whole minutes, Rogue sat in a chair opposite her gown, as it hung on the hook in the changing room. She hadn't even moved to start undressing. All she could think about was how each curve, each crease was so beautiful…and, right now, such a lie. It was only when Ororo called in after her, wondering what was taking so long, that Rogue was broken from her trance. She slowly undressed and pulled the gown over her head. She also put on a smile…another lie.

When she emerged from the change room everyone stopped to gawk, including other store employees and patrons. Jubilee clapped her hands over her mouth and squealed, while Jean gasped and sighed. Storm was the first who stepped forward. "Oh, darling, you are a vision!" She led Rogue to a small podium in front of a large tri-mirror and held her arm as she stepped up onto it. It was true, the gown was absolutely stunning. It was an empire waist, with off-the-shoulder sleeves. The silk fabric was skin-tight, and hugged her body as it slipped down past her hips, thighs and knees. It fanned out into a large, beautiful train at the back, which glided elegantly on the floor as she walked.

Rogue stared at her reflection in the mirror. She knew he would have loved it on her.

Her grin quickly faded, and she began to sob. Ororo ran to her side and lent her a shoulder to cry on, directing looks of confusion at the other two X-Women. Jubilee shrugged and Jean patted Rogue's back therapeutically. They attempted to usher her out of the store hastily but she refused to leave without the dress, claiming that she would wear it when she was ready. Back at the X-mansion she sported a sugary smile that everyone hated, save for Joseph, who commented on how lovely it was to see her so happy. She was heard later on that night crying herself to sleep.

Now, growing anxiety for _both_ Gambit and Rogue appeared to manifest itself in most of their fellow X-Men, and a Saturday morning proved to be the perfect opportunity for Jean and Storm to voice their concerns. They had walked into the kitchen as Rogue was pouring herself a cup of coffee at the counter near the sink, wearing a terrycloth night robe over her pajamas.

"Mornin' gals." She smiled in an excessively cheerful manner, hoping to hide the twinge of tiredness to her voice. "Wanna cup?"

"No thank you." Jean complied, and Storm graciously shook her head.

"Fahn then, more f'me." Rogue winced as she sat herself in the kitchen chair opposite Storm, immediately taking a sip from her mug to distract herself from the pain of moving.

"Are you alright child?" Storm questioned straight away.

"Yeah, Ah'm jus' …sore." Rogue replied between sips. She nursed her coffee, hoping to pass over the uncomfortable subject rather quickly.

Ororo and Jean shared an apprehensive glare or two, before Jean spoke up again.

"Rogue, we really want to talk to you. Quite frankly, we're worried. About Gambit, about you, about Joseph…"

Rogue's eyes narrowed as her grip tightened over her coffee mug. "Why?"

Jean, realizing that she was treading in dangerous water, chose her words carefully. "We only want the best for you because we love you so much. You're like family, Rogue, and we don't want you to make, umm, _misguided_ decisions just because…"

"Misguided?!" Her eyes were large now, mouth hanging open ever so slightly from utter shock. "What d'yah mean, _misguided_? What decisions are yah talkin' 'bout?"

"We feel that you are choosing to marry Joseph for the wrong reasons." Interjected Storm. She preferred the more abrupt and direct approach.

"Oh?" Rogue raised her eyebrow challengingly. "An' what reasons might that be?"

"Firstly" Ororo continued, "you are in love with the _idea_ of _being_ in love."

"Whah's that supposed t'mean?!" Her voice had raised a few decibels, only provoking Storm and Jean to speak in a calm and composed fashion.

Jean began again. "You're so wrapped up in the kissing, the snuggling, the entire romantic scene. No wonder why you are so enamored with Joseph, he's offering you all of the things you've been denied your entire life!"

"But that does not mean you are a perfect match for each other. It does not mean you should be married." Storm tried to add helpfully.

"Honestly, he doesn't even know you! The _real_ you! When was the last time you both did something _you_ enjoyed, just for you?" Jean paused, offering Rogue a moment to reflect, digest what they were saying to her.

"_Plenty_ o' tahmes!" Rogue was trying to suppress her urge to yell at both of her friends. _If she could even call them her friends anymore! They were ganging up on her!_ She wracked her brains, searching for something, _anything_ to throw back in their faces. "He took me tah watch the sunset! He bought me flowers!"

"Yes, Rogue, but they were just romantic gestures. He hasn't taken the time to get to know what _you_ like. And they weren't even your favorite flowers…"

_Why can't Ah think of ANYTHING ELSE?_ Rogue felt her body heat up and her cheeks flush crimson. She was visibly enraged now. Lacking further arguments, she spat out the only thing she could invent in her own defense. "It doesn' _mattah_! _Ah still loved them_!"

"…This brings us to our second point." Storm pressed on with amazing composure. "You are pushing the one man away that knows you and appreciates you best. Gambit -"

"- ISN'T INTERESTED!!! AND AH'M NOT INTERESTED!!! AH LOVE JOSEPH!" Rogue was shouting loudly, her knuckles turning white around her mug that was shaking noticeably now, splashing light specks of coffee on the kitchen table.

"What do you mean, not interested? Rogue, he cares for you more than anyone! He hasn't spoken to anybody for days, he's so depressed." Jean pleaded softly, hoping to calm her raging friend down a notch.

"Oh yeah?" Rogue lowered her voice, but kept the tone harsh and cold. "If thah's true, then _why_ did he push me away first, hmm? Ah flirted with him a while back…he jus' …turned away." Her throat seemed to tighten as she spoke. _Did it still really bother her that much?_

"Are you sure? That sure doesn't sound like Gambit." Jean frowned.

"AH COURSE AH'M SURE! Why would Ah lie 'bout that" She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. "At least, ah thought he saw me flirtin' with him -"

"Oh my goodness, Rogue!" Storm gasped.

"WHAT?" Rogue's face was contorted with anger and hurt all rolled into one, as she turned to face Storm. It took her a few seconds to register what exactly her friend was staring at, so horror stricken. "Oh." Apparently when she had thrown her robed arms up into the air, her sleeves had fallen to her elbows, revealing a few blackened bruises just above her wrists. She lowered them, and gently pulled her sleeves up to cover the discolored flesh.

Both Jean and Ororo's eyes widened with fear. "Is he beating you?" Ororo inhaled deeply.

"NO!_"_ Rogue hissed. "Now if yah both are done badgerin' me, Ah gotta go get ready. Joseph's takin' me out to a baseball game." She swiftly stood up, her chair almost toppling over as she did, and strode towards the door.

"But you _hate_ baseball." Jean groaned. Fortunately, Rogue was already far from earshot.


	8. Where's the Gift Reciept?

Howdy! Here we are again... another day, another chapter. First up, thanx for the amazing reviews! They're keeping me motivated. **RogueFreak**, I wouldn't say 'beating' per say... **Roguechere**, I wanted to update right away just for you, but that wouldn't build any suspense, now would it? And I wish I could say that everything works out nice and dandy, _but_... **Remy'sRose**, I'm totally all for the bag idea! But it didn't really fit in very well, so maybe I could just give Joseph the boot, hmm? _hint_ _hint_:D :D :D **Hawaiichick**, right now we're at syrup... just wait for the molasses!!!

All these reviews are so encouraging, I've decided to start a new tradition. At the end of every chapter from now on, you'll see a SNEAK PEEK into the upcoming chapter. My next update will be soon...let's aim for a total of 20 reviews. So all of you readers that don't review, you're cornered now!

Onward and out.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel's ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

* * *

"That one is from me." Professor Xavier pointed to a purple present sitting on the table. Rogue gently turned the present to its side and began lifting the taped folds, careful not to rip the wrapping paper. 

"C'mon Stripes, we don't got all day!" Wolverine grunted through a mouth full of birthday cake. All of the X-Men had thrown Rogue a wonderful surprise party in the Recreation Room. She would be lying if she said she hadn't suspected it, but it touched her just the same. She smiled at all of her friends, no…her family, who surrounded her. To know that so many people cared for her deeply was all she could have ever asked for as a birthday gift. Yet she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was missing, or rather _someone_. "_Surely Gambit would have wanted tah come to mah birthday party...Ah haven't seen the Cajun foah weeks!"_ A small weight seemed to reside in the pit of her stomach. It was an undeniable fact that she missed him, no matter what she tried to convince the others of.

"Now Logan, Rogue may open her birthday gifts however she wishes." The Professor smiled warmly at Rogue, focusing her mind back on the celebration. She stuck her tongue out playfully at Wolverine and dug her nails into the wrapping paper, vigorously tearing it off. Her smile broadened from ear to ear as she held the mahogany box in her hands, examining its every curve and indent.

"It's wonderful, Professah!" she said. Professor Xavier smiled affectionately, and nodded his head. "It's a jewelry box. Enjoy it, Rogue, …and Happy Birthday."

"Ah _will_!" She stressed, and placed it carefully on the table next to her other opened gifts, showcasing them proudly. "Well, then. There's only one moah. Ah _wondah_ who this one's from?"

She turned to face Joseph, grinning facetiously. He simply smiled lightly, and shrugged his shoulders. There, in the midst of the paper cups, plates, and cake clutter, stood her final gift. She grabbed the last outstanding package and brought it in front of her. It wasn't wrapped as elegantly as the rest had been, covered in brown shipping paper, but she didn't care. Her fingers ripped wildly at the packaging as she giggled, barely able to control her excitement. When she had torn off the last taped piece of paper, she nearly winded herself with such a sharp intake of breath. There, in a polished-silver picture frame, was a detailed painting of a sun setting gracefully over a rolling hillside. She tilted the painting in her hand, examining how the light reflected off of the brushstrokes. She was totally and utterly flabbergasted.

"(gasp) Oh, _Joseph_! Oh, Ah don' know wha' tah say, sugah!"

"Umm, Rogue…" He staggered.

"Aw, it's exactly lahke our fist date! Yah remembahd! It's _beautiful_! Ah …ah'm speechless!" She cooed.

Joseph furrowed his brows. "I'm very pleased you liked it Rogue, darling, but it isn't from me."

"Oh…" Rogue frowned, slightly taken aback. "But then who –"

She turned the painting over in her hands, and found a small yellow note taped loosely to the backing of the frame. She read it out loud for the entire room to hear.

"Anna Marie,

Here's hoping your moment in the sun lasts an eternity.  
Remy"

Bishop coughed loudly into his paper cup. Everyone else just sat in bewilderment, completely stunned. Joseph was the first to break the silence. "Who's Anna Marie?"

"Ah am, sugah." Rogue croaked, her eyes welling up with joyful tears. She was beaming, obviously lost in happy thought.

"Oh, well, I didn't know…"

"Of _course_ you didn't." Scott rolled his eyes, only to be jabbed in the chest by his wife Jean's elbow. He stammered quickly to retract his statement. "- _because_ no one has ever _told_ you, I bet. And… now you know." He forcedly took a sip of his drink to give the floundering comment a sense of finality. Joseph scowled sourly for what seemed like forever, and then continued on.

"Yes, yes. Okay, fine. Now open _my_ gift!"

She wiped away a single tear that trickled down her cheek. "Sure, Joe."

Rogue placed the picture upright, propped up against the vase of yellow roses sitting in the middle of the table. Joseph held out a long and slender velvet case, offering it to her. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly peeled her eyes from the intricate painting and turned to accept the navy-blue case. As her ungloved fingers ran over the case's fuzzy exterior, she let her mind dance with ideas of what expensive piece of jewelry awaited her once she flipped the lid. _It's a sapphire bracelet. No, wait, a diamond necklace, or a..._

"A pen?" Her eyebrows raised into her hairline. Logan groaned.

"Yes!"

Okay fine, her expectations were way too high when she had seen the box, but a pen?

"What am Ah gunnah do with a pen?" She stated flatly.

"Well, it's for writing, sweetheart!" He grabbed the red pen from its cradle in an enthusiastic swoop of the hand. "But understand that it's not just _any_ pen! It has a specific internal mechanism that allows you to write upside-down!" He went through the motions of pretend-writing above his head into the air, and then lowered it down in front of Rogue, seemingly satisfied with his own generosity. "I nearly bought one for myself, but…"

"…A pen." She repeated disdainfully.

"Uh... yeah." His smile began to gradually fall as he finally picked up on her dissatisfaction with the gift. Rogue blinked, staring at the pen in her hands, and then stood up from her chair. "Excuse me."

"Wait! Darling! it comes in other colors if you'd like!" Joseph called out, chasing after her as she sped from the room.

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK:**

"Yeah." Rogue smiled softly out of sympathy. She understood the pain she was causing him at the moment, and knew it was going to hurt for a while, but it was most definitely one of the more accurate decisions she had made for months. "If we didn't do it t'naht, then it just would've been some other naht."


	9. A Near Fatal Trainwreck

Alright, I'm AWARE we aren't at 20 reviews :( But I know **PeppermintLove** personally, and she said she would have my head if I didn't update tonight (and no, I don't tell her anything extra about the story...that wouldn't be fair to you guys). So think of it as an early holiday gift to all! Yay!

Now down to business.  
**Remy'sRose**, I specifically picked out a nice, big, brown boot for this monumentous occasion. And if I weren't going to tease, then how would I keep you coming back for more? evil laugh. And I sincerely hope that **RogueishLeia **remains a regular reviewer because kiddo, your review sent me into a fit of laughter. I'm soo glad that you like my story! Now, I don't think that Remy is the type to push someone off a cliff...Hmm, should I call in the Assasins Guild? _hint! Hint! HINT! _**PeppermintLove**, are you ready for this?!?! **Hawaiichick,** no worries, he's on his way. Also, I _always_ love to see newcomers my dear **inTHEgrid.** Yes, Rogue really is a pill in this, but I promise that once all this Joseph nonsense is over with, she'll find her way back to the sweet and confident woman we all know and love (but not _too_ sweet...). She sure stands her ground, though. Ahh, **Roguechere**, you are going to _hate_ me. No answers to the bruises just yet... ya gotta keep reading and reviewing for that.

So I'll shut up now and give you all what you came here to read. WOOHOO! Onward and out.  
Prof. H.H.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

* * *

"Listen, Rogue, If I knew you weren't going to like the gift, _believe me_, I wouldn't have gotten it for you!" Joseph was trying to yell over Rogue with his arms raised in the air, becoming more and more irritated by the argument they were having. About two hours ago, he had given her what he considered to be a _more_ _than_ _generous_ gift (it was extremely expensive), and all she had done was storm out of the room! He had pursued her in hopes of righting his wrong, but as time progressed he felt more indignant than apologetic. Now they were standing on the mansion's porch, knee-deep in a fervent battle with a firing squad on either end. 

"Yah _just don' GET IT, JOE!_" Rogue hollered back in frustration. "It ain't just THIS present, IT'S EVERYTHING! Yah don' KNOW me, an' yah don' even TRY tah figure me out! And tah top it off, you're insensitive about mah feelin's!"

"I beg your pardon?!" Joseph began defensively. Rogue lifted her sleeve to reveal several brand new bruises. He quickly diverted his eyes to the floor and shifted on his feet nervously, realizing how claustrophobic he began to feel, and just how much his shirt collar was scratching his neck. His reply was saturated with shame. "I said I was sorry. I never _ever_ meant to hurt you."

"Ah know…" Rogue eased her anger and calmed down to a stern sentence or two. "…but it hurt jus' the same." She sighed and let herself plop down on the entrance steps, wearing a look of defeat. She patted the stone ground next to her, motioning for Joseph to come join her. He slowly made his way to sit next to her, keeping his distance for precautionary measures (you never knew when Rogue would decide to get physical, and with her power…!).

"Listen, I gotta talk to yah, sugah. This ain't raght. We ain't supposed tah be this unhappy." Joseph's eyes bulged, finally understanding where the conversation was heading. All he could do was protest as his relationship derailed before his eyes.

"But it will pass, darling. We will make it through!" He was practically pleading with her, as if he couldn't accept the worst that was to come. "And I'm definitely not unhappy! Well, excluding right now, but –"

"Well Ah am. Ah'm so sorry, but mah heart isn't there. Ah was selfish tah put you through all a' this. Ah shouldn'tah lead yah tah believe that we were somethin' close tah perfect, when we weren't. Ah just wanted tah be normal so bad…" She watched his face fall in a heart-wrenching manner as she twisted her engagement ring off of her finger, laying it in the palm of his hand. "An' Ah guess that ring came with a bracelet, too." She leaned over and kissed his cheek for the last time, and then turned her focus down to her wrist where the Genoshan-style bracelet blinked steadily. She pressed a button, and with a single 'click', her wrist was free. Careful not to touch her bare fingers to his, she placed it over the ring in his palm.

Joseph stared at the jewelry. They felt as if they weighed a ton. After emitting a sardonic and painful scoff, he asked "If I hadn't gotten you the pen, then do …do you think it all would have ended like this?"

"Yeah." Rogue smiled softly out of sympathy. She understood the pain she was causing him at the moment, and knew it was going to hurt for a while, but it was most definitely one of the more accurate decisions she had made for months. "If we didn't do it t'naht, then it just would've been some other naht."

He forced a weak smile, and then extended the bracelet out to her, offering it as a gift. "You can still use this…with whomever you feel the need." His voice was slightly squeaky with emotion and he looked directly into her emerald eyes, knowing that she already had _him_ in mind. "Think of it as a peace offering."

Blushing, she grinned earnestly and extended out her hand that held her birthday pen. "Here. Take it, as mah gift t'you. Ah sure as hell owe yah one." He smiled for the first time in hours, and took it willingly. It placed closure on their doomed relationship, but a new friendship dawned in its wake.

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK:**

In a moment of sheer adrenalin, she curtly knocked on the door, with absolutely no clue as to how she would ever begin. But there was no answer.  
She knocked again.  
Nothing.

"Gambit, I know yoah in there. Open the door."


	10. Confrontations

Welcome back fellow Romy enthusiasts. Have I ever got a chapter for you today! But before you get all excited I have to acknowledge my favourite part, the reviews.

**RogueFreak**, the Romy is being "got on", let me tell ya! I can almost hear the corny music... Yes, **Roguechere**, I am mean. Thank you for noticing. But c'mon. You _know_ you _love_ it! However, now that we are entering the last few chapters of this story (tear), it will become much more predictable. But don't you worry because Part2 is going to send you through a loop! **InTHEgrid**, I'm glad I could be of some service...the disposing of Joe made you happy, and that means I'm doing something right. But don't worry about the little brother, because that's what they're there for ;D Oh and, this chapter is longer, and guess who's back?! **Greykupo**, you did it! You were the official 20th reviewer! Now keep it up, be number 25 or 26 or 27, etc. **RogueishLeia**, the "masacration" wont happen today... and that is exactly how I wrote this story; by ignoring my homework. Ah well, who needs a school education anyways? And ya know, about the whole Seinfeld/pen thing, I never in a million years thought about it like that (I don't watch the show much), but now that you mension it, it _is _very close. Hehehe Woops! Glad it gave you a good laugh! See?! My writing works on levels that I'm not even aware of! Lol. (P.S. I'm getting antsy...you better update "Of Fairy Tales and Happy Endings" soon before I lose my mind! C'mon! Chop Chop!) **Remy'sRose**, all I can say is YES!! I like Joseph much better than Cody! (cough...whimp...cough) Ahem...excuse me. Also, you are coming very close to revealing the rest of this story, m'dear! You knock that off!!! Stick to your own brilliant story!!! **PeppermintLove**, you really have no excuse now...tsk tsk...I'll push one out of you, if it's the last thing I do. **Grin** **Reaper**, you'll find out about the bruises quite soon, I promise.

Let's do this again, shall we?  
Onward and out.  
Prof. H. H.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

* * *

She stood there for a few minutes, staring at the blank door in front of her. Her mind swirled with a flurry of thoughts as her heart palpitated violently. How was she going to tell him? What was she going to say? It hardly qualified as everyday conversation… 

In a moment of sheer adrenalin, she curtly knocked on the door, with absolutely no clue as to how she would ever begin. But there was no answer.  
She knocked again.  
Nothing.

"Gambit, I know yoah in there. Open the door." Rogue pushed her weight onto one hip in irritation. "Open this door, Gambit, or so help me, Ah will knock it down befoah you can say –"

She was abruptly cut off as the door swung on its hinges, leaving her staring face to face with a pair of red-on-black eyes. He was wearing a cotton t-shirt and long pajama bottoms, a lot of clothing for the man who usually slept in his underwear. His hair was tousled every which way, and he had developed light stubble from days without touching a razor. He was the first to look away, taking in a deep and lengthy breath, waiting for the words to come to him.

"Whudduya wan', chère?" he mumbled, still intensely focused on the floor.

"Can Ah at least come in, Cajun?"

He stood motionless for a moment, and finally decided to step to the side to let her pass. With only a few steps into the room, she brushed past his robust middle torso, receiving a sweet, thick waft of men's body spray. "Well, at least yah showered." She offered positively, becoming a little weak in the knees. In fact, it made this whole process a lot more difficult for her. "_Maybe Ah'll get lucky an' we'll skip most of the talkin' part…"_ Rogue smirked inwardly. Making her way across the room, she placed the yellow, Genoshan-style bracelet on his bedside table, and then sat down at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah. 'Showered." Gambit muttered quickly, and closed the door with more vigor than intended, slamming it shut. He, too, went to sit at the foot of the bed, though careful to place a lot of space between himself and Rogue. Hunching over his lap, he rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his chestnut-brown hair. Minutes flew by, and neither one had initiated any form of conversation. Facing the fact that she would have to speak _sometime_, Rogue took in a short breath before she began.

"Ah wanna thank yah for givin' me such a beautiful present. When Ah opened it, Ah was …well, speechless. An' Ah still sortah am. Ah love it. Ah really do."

"Wuz nothin."

"No, Remy, it wasn't _nothin'_, it was somethin'! In fact, it was moah than somethin', it was _amazin'_! It really showed me how much yah truly care."

He could feel his stomach turning uncomfortably, getting caught up in emotion, something that could only lead to more pain. He tried to psychologically distance himself.

"Y'finally catch on, neh?" he barked acidly. And the moment he did, he regretted it. Tears began to roll down her porcelain cheeks, and he hastily changed his tone. "Sorry petite, Remy –"

"Ah deserved that."

"Non, y'didn't."

"'Course Ah did. Ah've been a royal pain. A fool. An' Ah came here tonaght to letcha know Ah've finally done something raght." A pause, then "Ah broke up with Joseph."

There it was again. That resilient, pestering ounce of hope that rose to the surface was back. He swallowed hard to drive it back down to the pit of his stomach.

"Congratulations."

"That's it? That's all yoah gonna say?" Rogue managed to squeak something out.

"Whud y'want me t'say, chère?" His suppressed anger was returning. "Gambit see where you're headed wit dis, girl. And it not gonna work any more den before. Y'don't trust Remy."

"Yes Ah do!" She gasped, almost inaudibly, through stifled sobs.

"No, y'don't! Y'be pushin' Remy away, trying to shelter y'self from gettin' hurt. Y'tought dat mebe Remy'd leave yeh, or get bored wit someone he couldn't touch, so y'went after Joseph. And mebeh next time it be someone else. We do dis over an' over again, Rogue, and each time Remy prove he ain't goin nowhere. So why do we go t'rough dis? Truth is y'don't wanna be loved cuz it scare d'shit outta y'! Y'don't trust Remy now, and den again, y'never will!"

"YES AH DO!" She shouted, her body trembling with emotion. Without warning, she shot up from the bed and headed to Gambit's closet, yanking his black trench coat off from the hanger and throwing it to his chest. "Here, put this on an' Ah'll show yah."

Directing an inquisitive glare in her direction, Gambit pulled each arm through a sleeve, one right after the other. When he had finished tugging on his open-fingered gloves, Rogue grabbed hold of the Cajun just under his rib cage and lifted him effortlessly into the air. With a single push of the windowpane they were flying out of the room, gliding up to the mansion's rooftop. Carefully, she lowered them both down until their feet made contact with the shingles. Being very nimble on his feet, Gambit gained stability quite fast and let go of Rogue. Proceeding as if it were a ritual, Rogue reached into his jacket's inner lining, searching for the hidden pocket that held her blindfold. Tying a skilled knot with both ends of the dark handkerchief behind her head, she held out her hands, openly inviting Remy to proceed.

Testing out the water before diving head first, Gambit reached his hand forwards to touch his single gloved finger to the palm of her hand.

"That's just yoah gloved fingah." She chuckled knowingly.

" 'M getting there, petite. Hold on."

Cautiously, and in one movement, he lightly grazed the palm of her hand with his un-gloved finger, bracing himself for the worst to happen. Not that he would be absorbed, but that Rogue would pull away again.

But she didn't. She didn't even flinch. His stomach somersaulted.

Rogue was smiling now, all her teeth glowing in the moon's lean wash of light. As she reached to pull her blindfold up past her forehead, Remy spoke.

"Non. One minute, chèrie. Leave it on." His lips had parted into a devilish grin, and he was leaning so close that his breath tickled her neck. "T'ink of de picture Remy got you, and de sunset in de park dat y'saw."

She lowered her hand down again, finding it hard to focus on anything but his low, masculine inflection of the voice. Finally she let the memories of the sinking sun engulf her mind again, remembering the love and peace she had felt in the moment.

But before she had time to react, before she even had time to smile, she felt Remy's lips press up against hers, and a warm sensation ran through her veins.

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK:**

Unable to contain it any longer, Wolverine asked the question everyone was dying to know, but didn't dare ask. "So, where'd the swamp and sewer rats disappear to last night, anyway?"

"Oh, well...ya know..." Rogue opened the newspaper in a non chalant manner, tantalizing her audience. Joseph stood grinding his teeth.


	11. A Proposal, if you will

WOOHOO! Ok, so a lot of people are off celebrating the holidays now, so I expect to see a lot of new updates in stories!!! And I am _no_ exception. I haven't actually been writing anything for the fanfiction for a while because they were already pre-written. But now that both you and I have a little more time in our horribly busy schedules, _and_ because I just had a stroke of genious in the shower a short while ago, we should get a few more posts up. This story is about to spiral out of control and, much to all of your delight, the plot is just starting to pick up speed. I need a mindmap to remember every little detail I have strategically placed. So don't forget about seatbelts, people!

I think it's safe to say we've offiicially lost **RogueishLeia** in fantasy land! LOL! I'm so glad that my stories add a nice calming break in between homework. Believe me, I share your pain. By the way, I love your stories...I secretly read them when I'm supposed to be doing work myself. Oh, and smile, this chapter is longer :) **Remy'sRose**, _what would I do without you?!_ You make me jump up and down with excitement myself, I just stopped cuz I kept hitting my head. :S Don't worry I tink i okai naow. And I'm writing, I'm writing! xoxo **inTHEgrid**, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT LEADS TO AND THIS IS IT FOR THEM, NO MORE STUPID ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN CRAP! WAHOO!!! AND I LOVE YOU FOR LOVING ME FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN! Hahaha, please don't _ever_ stop reviewing!! **Roguechere**, I _bet_ you can expect what's coming next...wink, wink ;) Rogue does have control, no need for the bracelet. That opens up a lot of doors. I chose door number 3. **PeppermintLove**, _give it up!_ I know you have a dirty mind, missy! You can't hide anything from me! Nice reference to 'naughty' songs, by the way. **Hawaiichick**, is now a good time for an update? I hope so. The old fashions will be popular for a while, then I'm hauling in some new fashions.

AND TO ALL OF YOU OTHER READERS who don't review, just read, _come on!!!!!_ I don't get paid to write, so I'm _definately_ not in it for the money! Read, Review, Recycle! (I couldn't think of another "R" word)

* * *

DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

* * *

The morning light peeked in through the drawn blinds, settling on her eyelids. Rogue stretched out for the first time in hours now that Gambit had left the bed. She had spent the whole night in his room, just cuddling up next to him, skin touching skin, nothing sexual. "_Not just yet, anyway." _She bit her bottom lip, concealing an overwhelming smile. "Mornin', sugah." She called into the en-suite bathroom. 

"Morning, mon amour." Gambit returned the greeting. He woke up earlier with Rogue's arms wrapped around his chest, and begrudgingly slipped out from under her body to shave. He needed a good shave. Although, he was finding it exceedingly difficult now that his heart was jumping around with a mind of its own, but he didn't care. He managed to cut himself a few times, too, but he just took it in his stride because nothing felt better than how he felt right now. They had broken down barriers last night.

Rouge ran her tongue lightly over her lips. She could still taste it; intimacy. It was an essence of comfort, of security. Not with the relationship, per say, but with each other. It was what their joining had skirted on in the past, but now they felt the full brunt of it. They had officially connected on an entirely different plane; with each kiss and each caress they delved deeper into each other's souls, resurfacing with stronger ties. No more doubt, no more torment. _This was it_, plain and simple. He had told her flat out that he loved her. She had said the same.

When they were both dressed and ready, they headed downstairs to the kitchen together. Their arrival was welcomed by a few gaping jaws, and the occasional whistle.

"Well, well, well. Look who's finally decided to join us downstairs for the first time in months." Jubilee teased Gambit, watching him head to the refrigerator to take out the milk.

"Welcome back Gambit!" Storm beamed. She had missed her friend dearly, and he, in turn, had missed her too. Rushes of welcomes were issued from each of the X-Men, following Ororo's lead.

"Good t'see you all again, mon ami." He said genuinely. He couldn't remember a day that he had felt happier than he did right now.

Unable to contain it any longer, Wolverine asked the question everyone was dying to know, but didn't dare to say. "So, where'd the swamp and sewer rats disappear to last night, anyway?"

"Oh, well…yah know…" Rogue opened the newspaper in a nonchalant manner, tantalizing her audience, grinning. Joseph stood grinding his teeth.

"Well, in actual fact, we didn't _know_. But I guess we can put two and two together…no pun intended." Scott laughed deliberately, watching Rogue blush incessantly at this remark. Gambit, on the other hand, placed an arm around Rogue's hip and pulled her closer to his body in an affectionate manner.

"If y'must know, homme, we didn't do _dat_. We jus'…talked."

"I'm sure." Logan growled, rolling his eyes in a circle.

* * *

A few weeks had passed, and the mansion was bustling with liveliness; new problems, new assignments, new training sessions, new relationships… 

Gambit and Rogue were going strong. Even though they had just started dating again recently, they were involved as if they simply picked up where they had left off (minus the intense drama and fights…well, mostly). They were comfortable together, meshing into each other's lives with ease.

Yet tonight, Gambit felt neither comfortable nor at ease. Truth be told, his heart was pounding wildly and his mind was immersed in thought. He paced back and forth in the front hallway of the institute, trying to calm himself down to the rhythmical sound of his feet.

Just then, a young Jubilee galloped down the hall, her smile widening as she approached him. "Hey Gambit! Don't _you_ look smart!" She looked him up and down, taking in his black pant suit with white-collared shirt (traditionally unbuttoned slightly at the top, as he always did). "Why all the class?"

"Takin' Rogue out t'night, Jubes." He stated anxiously, glaring down at his watch. "Thas if she decide t'come."

"Ah, I see. And that brings me to my next question. Why all the sweat? Nervousness is just not a good look for you."

Gambits eyes widened slightly as he met Jubilee's inquiring watch. "Gambit be dat obvious, petite?"

Jubilee thought for a moment, biting her lip. Within seconds, her mouth dropped open in astonishment. "You're…you're gonna –"

"He's what, Jubilee?" Rogue piped in cheerfully, benevolently descending the mansion stairs. She was clothed in an elegant green cocktail dress that cut off just above the knees with a tad of ruffling frill. It had a plunging neckline that enclosed the single-diamond necklace she wore. Her hair was pulled back in a loose up-do, permitting her white streaks to hang gracefully, framing the sides of her face.

"Dieu! Rogue, you look …gorgeous!" Gambit inhaled. He was taken aback by Rogue's beauty, not that she wasn't always stunning in his eyes.

"Wow! Can I borrow that dress?" Jubilee asked, half joking, half serious. Before she could get a proper response from Rogue, Jubilee winked to both of them and said "I'll leave you both to your wonderful evening plans. Play nice!" And with that, she turned steadily on her heels and disappeared into the heart of the mansion.

"What in the world was that about?" Rogue queried, laughing slightly.

"Dunno, chèrie." Gambit turned to face the front door and offered Rogue his arm. "Shall we?"

Rogue chuckled softly and hooked her arm in his. "Lead on, Cajun!"

Rogue dabbed the creases of her lips after finishing her romantic candle-lit dinner of fine Italian foods. She released a heavy sigh, and leaned back into her chair, resting her arm on her stomach. "Now that was some meal. Ah think yoah gonna haftah roll me on home."

"Not just yet, mon coeur." Immediately after counting out a tip for their waiter, Gambit slid his chair out from underneath him, stood up, and stepped over to Rogue's side. He helped her out of her seat, leading her out of the restaurant to a horse and buggy that was parked right outside. "Look f'miliar?"

"Oh, swamp rat, you've really outdone yoahself this tahm." Rogue rolled her eyes in exasperation. Remy held her arm as she climbed into the carriage, and then followed suite. He motioned for the driver to guide them around a few blocks, and then positioned his arm around her waist. She leaned her head sideways onto his shoulder, and closed her eyes. "Thank yah Remy, for a wonderful naht. Ah had a wonderful tahm."

" 'S not over yet, mon amour." He spoke softly into her left ear. He first gently lifted her chin off of his shoulder, and then pointed to the sky. "Look at de stars, Rogue. Dey're beautiful t'night. Almost givin' you a run for y'money…_Almost._"

She blushed, and looked up at the night sky. "Y'all be lucky if ya get yoah arm back, sugah. Ah wish tonight would nevah end. Y'ever feel lahke that, Rems?"

"Mary me."

"What?!" Her head jerked back down to face him, and she found herself staring squarely at an engagement ring. She was stunned. She blinked once, and just sat there in silence, staring at the ring for what felt like hours to Gambit.

…

"Girl, y' gotta say sumtin'."

"Yah didn't steal that, did yah?"

"Okaayyy…not _exactly_ de reaction Gambit lookin' for." He lowered the ring to his side. "Mebe dis be a bad idea."

"Yes." Rogue's lips curved up at the sides ever so slightly, all the while keeping her focus on the Cajun.

"Oh." He lowered his eyes, and pulled a ring box out of his trench coat's pocket to place the ring back inside. "Well den…" He forced a weak and nervous smile to hide his obvious dejection.

Suddenly, letting out a short laugh, Rogue reached out and placed her hand on his. "No…no, Cajun…y_es_, as in '**_Yes_** Ah'll marry ya.' "

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK:** (it's the one you've all been waiting for) 

Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed her arms to pull her close, to show her how intimate they could be without any of the pressures of sex. However, he was shocked to see her wince and recoil at his touch, something she almost always invited nowadays. He started to frown, lines building over his brows. Following a sudden moments thought, he pulled her shirt sleeve up to reveal skin of black and blue, a succession of bruises lining her forearms.


	12. Explaining

Happy Holidays everyone! So I've just been itching to see this chapter go up. You see, it's actually _torture_ to have a monumentous breakthrough when writing a story, to have everthing figured out and come to gether so perfectly, and then have no one to share it with because it would ruin it for those who are actually interested! BAH! Then I'm torn between posting right away and waiting for more reviews. But this time, like many other times in the past, I caved. Sad for me, awesome for you.

Now onto the reviews... **inTHEgrid**, no you spoil _me_!!! Your reviews are so lengthy, and I _love_ reading them! This next chapter is gonna give you a heart attack...I can't wait! Oh, I'm evil. And I can't believe my writing has made it to "rereadable"! Yeesss!!! P.S. Your review has one the gold medal! I'm anxiously awaiting the next... a platinum, perhaps? **Remy'sRose**, I'm soo sorry to hear you've been sick Here's the secret remedy...chicken soup and fan fiction. See? You're half-way to recovery! Now, I hate to say that I'm not fully into the play-by-play of sex scenes...I like to leave it to the readers imagination...it allows the reader to emotionally connect with the story in their own personal way. But honestly, this chapter is officially dedicated to you :P On a scale from 1-10, tell me how whopping it was. Now go eat that soup, curl up with a nice cozy blanket, maybe even by the fireplace, and get well!!! **PeppermintLove**, seriously, I never said no sex before marriage! There will definately be a lot of "checking", and a lot of Gambit being "bad". Hahahah! P.S. I know...It's me and you babe! **Roguechere**, Blah blah blah blah. You know it, uh-huh, yep. Blah blah, here's the "deal"! **RogueishLeia**, You can't die! I'll miss ur reviews _way_ too much. No, I'm not a shipper for medieval torture techniques... I'm more modern, like a firing squad or a machete ...Riiggght, moving on... he's gonna get what's coming to him. He's not gonna be so innocent either, so it won't be really weak, I can promise you that. Actually, when I was rereading what I had wrote, it felt very true to the characters, very real...to me anyway. And since I know you so well, I have this feeling you're gonna enjoy it. :P **Hawaiichick**, don't feel bad for him...he's a strong man, and he makes his own decisions. And when he's gone, he won't _really _be gone... I can't say any more than that. Keep reading, and you'll understand.

**SO HERE'S THE DEAL:** We're getting to the last few chapters of Part 1... I think I'm planning one or two more. Now is when I'm getting really excited because this is when the story actually starts. I know I've been updating frequently, but I wanna see some newbies reviewing. Let's try to make it to 45/46 reviews. Then I'll be in writer heaven. I think I've made you wait long enough, so it's time to get on with it.  
Onward and Out.  
Prof. H. H.

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DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

* * *

"Should we tell de others?" 

"Ah have a bettah ideah. Why don't we tell them tomorrow?" Rogue motioned her head towards her room down the hallway. They had made their way back to the Institute, finding that everyone had either gone to bed, or at least retreated to their rooms for the night.

Gambit lifted one eyebrow and grinned devilishly. "Sound like a plan." He leaned down, and placing one arm behind her shoulder blades and the other behind her knees, he swooped her up into his arms and headed for her room.

Dropping her playfully on the bed, Rogue giggled and scooted closer towards the headboard. Remy closed the door, and before they knew it they were making out passionately, wrestling with each other's stubborn clothing.

Rogue had successfully removed Gambit's top and, with his help, his jeans. But, Remy was so caught up in the moment; he hadn't been able to lift her top over her head without breaking lip contact, so he resigned to the fact that it just didn't need to be removed…yet.

Suddenly, he felt Rogue stiffen in his arms, and he looked to her face. Her jaw was clenched and she was growing glassy-eyed. He stared at her quizzically for a moment, and then sank into a sitting position next to her on the bed, his arm wrapped firmly around her shoulder.

"Chère, y' not ready for dis, it be okay."

She shifted uncomfortably, turning her upper body to face him. She lacked the strength to look him in the eye, so her eyes rested on her fidgeting hands.

"Rems, yah have tah know… " She bit the bullet. "Y'ain't mah first."

Gambit tried to stifle a short laugh that shot out from his mouth, feigning a cough._ Dat be all? Dat what dis femme be worried about? _He hated to admit his weaknesses, but he really was looking forward to their first night together. Alright, he had always lived with the fantasy that he would be her first, and no other guy would be in the equation. Just Rogue and Remy. But, so what? In retrospect, it was an imprudent dream, for this allowed him to appreciate their moments together even more.

"Girl, Gambit don't care none!"

"Yeah, but Remy, Ah love what we already have togethah. What if this ruins it?" She glanced up just in time to see Gambit's stunned expression melt into one of deep hurt and despondency.

His mouth worked soundlessly for several seconds, only giving a soft response when he felt his heart show signs of activity again. Thu-thump.

"Ruin?"

She spoke slowly, carefully choosing her words. "Ah didn't… enjoy… it half as much as… Ah thought Ah would." Her gaze finally met his, and her face was tarnished with regret and anxiety. "Please Remy, please don't hate meh."

Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed her arms to pull her close, to show her how intimate they could be without any of the pressures of sex. However, he was shocked to see her wince and recoil at his touch, something she almost always invited nowadays. He started to frown, lines building over his brows. Following a sudden moments thought, he pulled her shirt sleeve up to reveal skin of black and blue, a succession of bruises lining her forearms.

A torrent of raging emotions were mounting inside of him, but Remy kept his voice steady and unwavering. "Joseph?" He hissed.

She nodded meekly and opened her mouth to explain, but he didn't give her a chance.

"An' tell me dis, Rogue. Did y'ever ask him t'stop?" His eyes glowed dangerously, and his grip tightened over her wrists.

"Yes, but Ah –"

"_And_?"

Her eyes seemed to sag with self loathing and disgust. She couldn't believe she was screwing this moment up. _What's wrong with meh? This coulddah been it for us! He's angry, Ah know it! If Ah loved him half as much as he loves me, Ah coulddah just gone along with it all, and…_ She shook the thought from her head. There was no going back now. "He did, after a while. Listen Remy, forget it. Forget Ah said anything, just –"

Gambit jumped up, sheer repulsion smeared across his face. He stormed over to his pants and swung them on haphazardly, wildly throwing himself into the pant legs. After fumbling unsuccessfully with the buckle, he nearly blew up his belt in frustration before whipping it halfway across the room.

"Remy, Ah'm sorry. Please…" Rogue begged, fighting through her gathering tears.

He turned on the spot and grabbed her shoulder, positioning them nose-to-nose. They were so incredibly close that she could feel the heat his body was emanating. Rogue noticed that it took every ounce of his being to keep himself from shaking with rage. "Don't you EVER" he yelled, jabbing his finger into her chest, "_EVER_ apologize f'r expressing y'feelings again, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Please Rems, Ah…Huh?"

He then presented her with his opened hand, implying that he wanted her to join him somewhere. She apprehensively placed her hand in his, and he began leading her towards the door.

He marched her through the halls of the mansion, deliberately pounding the floor with each step he took. Lights began to flick on in several rooms, leaking out between the cracks of the doors, spilling into the dark corridors. Gambit kept up his rushed strides, almost dragging Rogue by the arm so that she would keep up to his momentum. She began to panic silently when she recognized where he was heading.

"Gambit! No!" she whined. "Yoah upset now. Y'all can talk in the mornin' after yah cool off."

It was no use. Kicking the door open with his foot, Gambit switched the light on in the room. "Get up!"

A confused and tired Joseph squinted against the bright light in his quarters. Moving his hand over his eyes to block out the incriminating light, he cleared his throat and turned to read his digital alarm clock.

"Rogue? Gambit? It's nearly 2am! What's going on?"

A few other X-Men had stumbled into the room now, yawning through tired expressions, visibly upset by their rude awakening at such a late hour. Storm, Bishop, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Jean and Scott peeked in from the door, evidently just as perplexed as Joseph was.

"What the hell is this all about?" Scott demanded, desperate to get an answer quick so that he could crawl right back into bed with his wife and try to salvage the rest of the night.

"Exactly what I would like to know." Joseph fired back cheekily to Gambit.

"Joseph was jus' about t'explain himself, mon ami." Advancing fast, Gambit wedged his lower arm under Joseph's chin and slammed him against the wall. Joseph groped at his neck trying to break free, but it was no use. This was definitely one determined Cajun.

"Gambit! Stop this!" Storm shouted, but he didn't listen.

"Rems, calm down –" Rogue tried to quiet him by talking in a softer tone. She was also still pretty shaken herself, and finding her voice was proving quite difficult at the moment.

With some compliance, Gambit loosened his hold slightly so that the man stopped turning blue. Gambit's face darkened drastically as he yelled to the room "He raped Rogue!"

"No he didn't!" Anna-Marie disputed, speaking louder than before.

"He pushed y' t'have sex when y'didn't want to, bruised y'up real good, _and _didn't stop when y'told him t'get off! _Sound like rape t'me!_"

Rogue opened her mouth to protest, but no words escaped past her lips. She then closed her mouth, thinking hard. She would never have thought of it that way, not in a million years. She had always excused Joseph, accepting that his actions weren't intentional, pushing aside her own personal pain to save their relationship. But in retrospect, it couldn't be any clearer.

"Oh, well in that case…" Wolverine rushed Joseph as well, wielding his silver claws with a distinct '_SHINKT'_ sound.

"STOP!"

Everyone's head swiveled to land on Charles Xavier as he wheeled past the crowd into the room. "Gambit, Wolverine, release Joseph."

The two exchanged infuriated glares, and with a reluctant grunt Wolverine retracted his claws. When Gambit didn't move, Rogue calmly walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay sugah."

Slowly but surely, Gambit removed his forearm from Joseph's neck and watched him fall in a heap on his bed.

"I feel this is a serious issue that must be resolved in the morning, _after_ we have all had time to take control of our tempers." And at that, the Professor ushered all of his X-Men out of the bedroom, leaving Joseph to rub his tenderized neck.

Rogue and Gambit walked back to her room in silence. Closing the door behind them, they sat down next to each other on her bed, not once saying anything or even looking at one another. It had all happened so fast, and Rogue hadn't had time to let her feelings settle. Remy didn't push her, either. He just sat still, looking at the blank wall and door in front of him, waiting for his breathing to slow. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her. And they both felt the same way. Acting on impulse, she leaned over and kissed him gingerly on the lips. He barely moved; let her kiss him softly and gently. She pulled away only a little, her nose touching the side of his, and waited. Soon enough, they were right back where they had started. He was on his back, and she was straddling him, leaning over his rising and falling chest.

"C'mon, it's okay. Y'don' gotta do dis just 'cuz –"

"Ah know that." She grinned, leaning in closer to kiss his neck. "Ah'm fully aware."

As she pressed more of her upper torso into his, she felt completely reassured. She saw it over and over again in his blazing eyes; they took her in with absolutely none of that animalistic yearning or desire, but with a calm sense of understanding. No man had ever looked at her that way before. Clutching her abdomen tight in anticipation, she felt a tingling heat rise from her stomach and rush to her head, encouraging her tightened muscles to unwind in the moment.

Still skeptical, he placed his hand on her cheek. "If y'change y'mind, jus' speak up an' Remy stops, no questions, chère."

Rogue nodded and turned her head slightly to kiss the inside of his palm. " 'Kay."

But she never needed to say anything.

Not even once.

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK:**

Just then, the last remaining seat at the table was host to a subtle '_Bamf_', and Nightrcawler magically materialized in the chair. It was the cue the professor had been patiently waiting for, and he began to address the crowd.

"Good morning, my X-Men. Now that we are all here, it seems that we have some issues to discuss." The Professor swiveled round to face Rogue and spoke gently, even in her mind. "_I understand that this is a sensitive issue, Rogue, and we do not usually make…personal matters…public knowledge, but there appears to be some discrepancy on how to deal with the problem._"

Rogue lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment. "_Yes, Professah. Ah still don't know if Ah'd call it rape, though…_"


	13. Just the Beginning

WE MADE IT!!! THE LAST CHAPTER! Don't be sad though, it's only the end of the beginning. ;D This story was really just the set up for the next two, which I'm working on as we speak. It's going to take a while to get it up because it's significantly longer than Part 1 (Yay!)...but it's worth it, through and through. I'm so excited I could pee in my pants! ...but I _wont_, don't worry!

Now my shout out to my loyal reviewers. **InTHEgrid**, I hope I wrapped everything up to your liking. I wanted to get rid of Joseph, but I needed to show that Rogue still feels connected to him in a non-sexual way. I didn't want people to hate him by the end, but I didn't want them missing him either. Of course, we'll never know why Rogue caved into losing her virginity to him...something like she thought him to be a friend, and he might have been her last chance to have what she thought she never could. And yes, this is definately like one giant car crash that you can't look away from. Keep predicting, you may surprise even yourself! Sorry though, no sneak peak for this chapter...it would give way too much away. I love when ppl write a lot in reviews! I want to hear how people feel, and what they look for in an entertaining story. I don't know what I'd do without your reviews!!! You get a platinum plus! So ramble away, ramble away!...And enjoy your gifts! **Roguechere**, let's hope that the rest of the X-Men deal with the situation appropriately. I was so nervous to write this part because I was afraid I would treat the subject too lightly, or make a big deal out of a smaller detail. Luckily I've never been in Rogue's position, but I hope I made it realistic enough. Now, this _should_ prove Remy's love for Rogue...I tried to stay away from sappy, but it's hard! Oh how it's hard! Thanx so much for staying with the story, it means a lot! Blah, blah blah, blah. **Hawaiichick**, VERY serious drama! lol You've hit it right on the money. Like I said to inTHEgrid, I hope you don't hate good ol' Joe...well, maybe just a _little_. :P **RogueishLeia**, I am actually honoured that my story scares you into reviewing! HAHHA! No, there was no spell...it's just that deep down inside you are a wonderful reviewer after all! Now who would have thought!?...I did! And I _totally_ believe you...you've got a smart head on your shoulders. Hmm, so I guess I'm gonna have to make things a little more tricky now, huh? And if you wrote that story, I would SO read it! lol Your stories always lift my spirits! Everyone, go read "Truely, madly, deeply" and "Of Fairytales and Happy Endings." I was SO sad when they were complete. Just for that, you _have_ to write me a new one!!! And I wish I could say the same about the alerts, but for some reason I'm not recieving them anymore...and I checked to make sure that 'recieve alerts' was enabled. I don't get it. Whatever, I still end up coming back to your stories to check if anything was updated...talk about a spell! Hope this chap makes you uber happy! **Remy'sRose**, Aye Aye!!! I want you to know _how_ _much_ I appreciate your stories after doing my own. They're fabulous!!! I want more! MORE! It's so hard to write a story and make it poetic and original at the same time, yet you manage to do both so easily. I'm so hooked, it's not even funny. Your writing is my inspiration, again and again. So when you told me that 'stunned you speechless', I couldn't believe it, and I still can't, really. After spending so much time reading your stories and having the exact same reaction, it was like I won a medal! Thanx soo much!!! So...have I convinced you to update yet? HAHAH ...I mean it though, every word. **RogueFreak**, lots of ass kicking to follow, so stay tuned! You're such a character! hahah what what:oD --it's supposed to be a clown with a funny hat. **Grin** **Reaper**, Joseph won't be the bad guy, I promise you. He'll earn back his honour! So this chapter shouldn't ruin your impression of him, and he's gonna be back...in a good way. **Tking**, Thanx! Keep reviewing, I'd love to hear more of what you'd have to say.

Was that long enough for everyone? Ok, I know I know, I digress too much. So here it is, what you've all been waiting for...  
This chapter has a little bit of everything: humour, drama, intrigue, suspense, all the works! Enjoy!  
Onward and Out  
Prof. Horatio Hufnagel

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DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)

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When both Rogue and Gambit sauntered down the stairs to the war room, most of the X-Men were already present. There were two vacant seats between Wolverine and Storm, and so Rogue automatically sat next to Wolverine, leaving the other seat for Gambit. She scanned all of the faces sitting before her at the round table; most offered supportive smiles in her direction, while others stared intensely at Joseph with unreadable expressions. No one dared to speak. None, that is, until Wolverine sniffed the air curiously and turned his head to Rogue. 

"Well, I'm glad _someone_ had a good night last night." He chided in a half-serious, half-teasing manner.

Rogue was so embarrassed that she slumped lower into her chair. What she would give to be invisible… Suddenly Logan's knee banged against the underside of the table. He whimpered and turned his head to his left, facing Jean. "Ow! What th'hell was that for?!" Rogue watched as Logan reached his arms down to rub his offended left foot.

Jean just smiled sweetly and raised her eyebrows in mach confusion. "What?"

Rogue stared straight ahead, and concentrated her mind on her thoughts. "_Thanks, sugah_."

"_Any time."_ Jean reciprocated. "_You can thank me by explaining every detail to myself and the other women later."_

Just then, the last remaining seat at the table was host to a subtle '_Bamf_', and Nightrcawler magically materialized in the chair. It was the cue the professor had been patiently waiting for, and he began to address the crowd.

"Good morning, my X-Men. Now that we are all here, it seems that we have some issues to discuss." The Professor swiveled round to face Rogue and spoke gently, even in her mind. "_I understand that this is a sensitive issue, Rogue, and we do not usually make…personal matters…public knowledge, but there appears to be some discrepancy on how to deal with the problem._"

Rogue lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment. "_Yes, Professah. Ah still don't know if Ah'd call it rape, though…_"

"_I understand._" He broke the mental connection they had established so that he could open the room to discussion. "We are a family. It has been my dream, a dream that you all share, to see mutants and humans respect one another in their daily lives. I daresay we can expect to accomplish such a feat if we still cannot respect our fellow mutants…"

"What the Professor's tryin' to say here, **_bub_**, is that you obviously _don't_ know how to treat a lady." Wolverine snarled viciously at Joseph. "We _aint_ pleased."

"I don't blame you." Joseph began. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, nor to even forgive me, but I want you to know that none of my actions were intentional. I had gotten carried away, and was insensitive…" his voice dropped a few decibels "…and I just didn't know when to stop."

"Ve are capable of forgiveness, Joseph, but I tink zat vat ve all need to hear is an apology to mein schwester." Kurt spoke out.

"He already did." It was the first words Rogue had outwardly spoken since the meeting had started. "He's apologized and we've dealt with it in private." She stated matter-of-factly, hoping to put an end to this humiliating conversation.

"But it is going to be hard for the rest of us to simply push it from our minds." Storm presented her case to Joseph. "Regrettably, we have lost some respect for you, and it will be hard for you to build up our trust again."

"I understand completely. And that is why I feel I have overstayed my welcome." Joseph spoke to the entire room. "I thank you for your hospitality, and I will always support Xavier's cause. I just think I should no longer fight by your side."

"Oh stop this! Joseph, yoah not goin' anywhere. This is stupid. If we could learn tah talk through this as adults," Rogue looked at all of her friends "then y'all can too! He jus' forgot Ah wasn' half as strong as mah usual self when Ah use the bracelet. _So_ he held meh down a lil' too taght. He's admitted tah doin' wrong, he's apologized, an' he's honestly sorry. What else d'yall want from him?"

"Non." This time Gambit spoke. "No, he didn' see how much it affected y'." He then turned an incriminating eye on Joseph. "She couldn' touch -was _afraid_ t'touch- moi. Y' made her tink dat she gotta 'xpect bein' hurt. Can't _never_ forgive yeh f'dat, homme."

The two locked eyes. "I already said I'm not asking for your forgiveness, '_homme'_." Joseph mocked his accent indignantly.

Now, Rogue may not have had a mutation that granted her telepathic or empathetic ability, but she was more than capable of feeling the tension mount in the war room. Heck, anyone sitting in a five mile radius would have received the same vibe. Her hand clapped down on the Cajun's upper thigh as his fingers twitched for his playing cards.

Although thoroughly enraged, Gambit abandoned the thought of giving Joseph a past-due beating. Sadly, he knew fully well that he was there to support Rogue, and _not_ start a fight. Of course, he had to relieve his aggravation through a more refined outlet, and so he decided he could still put his twitchy fingers to good use. He flipped Joseph off, inviting the man to step just one toe out of bounds…

"That is far enough!" Bishop ordered. "We're losing track of the conversation."

Jean tried to ground everyone once again. "Joseph, you don't have to leave. In time, I'm sure we can all learn to –"

"No, it's alright. There are too many unresolved feelings that could jeopardize the team's performance on a mission." In truth, he couldn't stand Gambit; the man that had taken everything away from him, the man that ruined his chances with Rogue, and the man that he loathed more than anything in the world. But there was merit to what he was saying about the missions. If he and Gambit were ever left in the same room together, Joseph wasn't sure that he could be held accountable for his actions.

"I think it be best if I leave." He stood up hesitantly, trying to reassure himself that he was making the right choice. There was nothing left for him to stay for…right? He turned to look at Rogue, searching her face for the answer. She was frowning and her mouth was parted slightly. He could tell she was struggling with many so many emotions and thoughts, but he didn't know what to make of it. He also noticed the Cajun clench his jaw and stiffen in his chair. Could that rat tell what he was thinking? Joseph chose to ignore this, and decided to react on his gut instinct. He couldn't leave if there was still hope. He wasn't about to just walk out if she still had feelings for him.

"I'm going to leave. Unless…" Rogue looked at him questioningly "…unless you can give me a reason to stay."

Gambit's chair scraped the floor as he sprang from his seat to a defensive stance, pulling out his cards and charging the whole deck. Rogue seized the front of Remy's coat and pulled him back to his seat. She didn't dare remove her hands in fear that Joseph would goad him on. But before she could turn to scold Joseph, a high-pitched shriek filled her ears. Everyone waited while Jubilee tried to collect herself through her squeals.

"Oh my gosh, Gambit you did it! I knew it! Rogue, you two are engaged?!" Jubilee pointed to Rogue's left hand that still clutched Remy's leather coat. Rogue looked down to her hand and realized she was sporting the new diamond ring that the other X-Men had not yet seen.

"Oh." Joseph spoke so softly that his voice was almost lost amongst the uproar from the other X-Men around the table, but Rogue had heard him.

It was almost as if she subconsciously expected to hear it, was waiting for it… just waiting to disappoint him. She couldn't help but feel for the man. He had loved her in his own way, and fought to be with her. Sure, he was arrogant and rude, but could you blame him, what with inheriting the personality traits of Magneto? And it wasn't as if she couldn't love someone with such '_charming'_ character traits… Grinning at her own sarcasm, Rogue looked to her right, straight into the burning eyes of a certain Swamprat. Being a man of impeccable timing, Gambit chose this moment to break her thought with a gesture that fit his nature all too well. He also had ignored the barrage of questions from their friends, but instead had taken the time to carefully study her changing facial expressions. It was helpful that his southern belle wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Go. Remy be waitin'…parce que, he know **_exactly_** how much his _femme_ love breakin' de men's hearts." If his words weren't direct enough, then his playful smirk said it all. Yes, 'arrogant' was a definite understatement.

Rogue stood slowly and motioned for Joseph to follow her into the hall. A few paces outside of the war room, Rogue turned and placed a gentle hand on Joseph's shoulder. "Sugah, you know Ah care for yah. An' Ah don't want you leavin' just cause yah think things'll be too awkward. But…Ah don't love yah the way y'love me. Ah'm Sorry." She tried to sound as sincerely sympathetic as she possibly could.

"No, no. I get it." The corner of Joseph's lips curved up feebly, and he released a deep sigh of defeat. "I am going to get my personal belongings from upstairs."

Picking up on Rogue's intention to object, he added hurriedly, "I still believe it's the most appropriate thing to do."

She closed her mouth and bit the inside of her cheek in deliberation. What could she possibly say to him? There wasn't anything left to discuss. She resigned to the fact that this was just how everything was supposed to play out. "Alright." She sighed and shook her head as she watched him disappear down the hall.

Poking only her head into the war room, Rogue couldn't help but chortle at what she saw. There, amidst the crowd of nattering X-Men, sat a harassed looking Gambit. She probably shouldn't have left him alone…their engagement classified as hard-hitting news to a gossiping bunch of friends that were all _too_ easy to get a rise out of, and he was probably being grilled senseless. Calling upon the most sweet and innocent face that she could muster, she quietly mouthed him a 'Sorry'. With his eyebrows raised, he shot her a look of sheer desperation. "_Oh how cute he looks when he's pleadin'."_ She mused to herself. "_Hmm, Ah gotta remembah that." _Deciding that he had enough, she cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention back to her presence. "Y'all gonna come say goodbye to Joseph?"

* * *

"G'bye, Joe." Rogue breathed, almost winded from her onslaught of emotions. He was a friend, and there was no doubt she would miss him. She also couldn't help feeling partially responsible for his abrupt departure. Why did he think he had to leave to make things right? People deserve forgiveness for their past mistakes, and it would be rather hypocritical of herself to think otherwise, given her own regretful and shameful history. Her hug was nothing more than a quick, tight hold, but the squeeze she received back in return spoke more than words. He didn't blame her at all, not in the least. _"Thah's the funny thang about love an' friendship; once yah have it, y'all never wannah let it go."_

They finally pulled away and Rogue slid her hands down Joseph's shoulders and arms, and let them close around his open palms. "Now yah heard what the Proffessah said: You should come tah visit us. We don' wantcha gone for good, y'hear?"

"That is quite right." The Professor interjected. "You have done much to help our cause, and are considered a friend of the X-Men."

"Thank you, I will." Joseph reluctantly severed the physical contact between himself and Rogue, and bent down to pick his bags off of the floor. He skillfully shook hands and nodded heads to all of the team members while adjusting the shoulder strap for his luggage. When nothing was left to be said, he turned to face the large entrance doors with a mixture of anguish and self-satisfaction; yes, it saddened him to realize he no longer could call the mansion 'home', but at the end of the day he could hold his head up high knowing, as small as his contribution may have been, that he had made a difference.

Storm held the door for him as he walked outside into the bright sun and the brisk winds, thus starting a new chapter in his life, one which he could make just as honourable as his last (if not more). But although his heart swelled with pride, he couldn't help but notice how empty it felt in its core. She was staying here, with them…with _him_. A scour is a contagious thing, and he knew that he was falling victim to one, fast. Upon hearing the institute doors close behind him, he couldn't help but think that the day was too sardonically cheerful…it was mocking him. _"Fucking sun."_

Just before the doors closed, Rogue felt a cool breeze blow into the large hall and engulfed her bare skin. She shivered as it began to prickle and the cold spread itself through her veins. Almost immediately, two muscular arms wrapped themselves around her upper body, and Gambit pressed up against her back. He warmed her from head to toe in an instant. Even his breath on the nape of her neck felt as warm as a gentle kiss. She couldn't think about ever being cold again.

"So you two going to ever tell us about your engagement?" Jubilee asked impatiently.

"Jubilee," Jean warned in a melodious voice "Joseph's only just left a moment ago."

"Yeah, well, you just _know_ it's what's on everybody's minds." Confirmed by a few chuckles that floated about the gathering of mutants, Jubilee pressed on. "So? Tell!"

"Well, aftah Remy took meh out tah dinner last naght, he proposed on a carriage ride through the park." Rogue smiled brightly at her friends as she reminisced.

The X-Women pried Rogue away from her fiancé to indulge in idle gossip, while the men huddled around Gambit to pat him on the back and offer their congratulations. "Oh my gosh, it's _huge_!" Jean declared after grabbing Rogue's left hand from Jubilee. She turned around to the men with a fascination. "Gambit, I'm almost afraid to ask. How did you…um, 'acquire' this gorgeous ring?"

"Yeah, Swamprat, how'dja get it?" Rogue perked up with eager curiosity.

Realizing he was now center of attention, Gambit drew out the long silence to build suspense. After a pregnant pause, he replied in the most non-challant manner possible. "Oh, Jus' mon père."

"When you had previously returned to New Orleans." Bishop concluded.

Gambit dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "Nah, way b'fore den."

Rogue furrowed her brow as she thought aloud. "But… we weren't togethah then."

"Was right b'fore we split up a while back. Went to visit mon père, an' den Jean-Luc gave me de ring. Tol' me t'hold onto it for 'safe keepin'."

"He's a smart man." Rogue blushed and exchanged a sweet smile with her fiancé.

"We should celebrate!" Bobby offered hopefully.

"Yes, I think a little champagne is in order." The Professor promptly left the room, returning shortly after with a bottle and a tray of glasses. Cyclops uncorked the bottle and filled each glass, while Storm took it upon herself to distribute them throughout the room. Everyone took a glass willingly, save for Jean.

"No thank you Storm." She smiled politely and held up her hand to stop the drink from tempting her. Cyclops looked up from his pouring to his wife.

"Do you want something else instead, Sweetheart? Juice? Water?"

"No, it's alright Scott. I'm fine." She discretely shook her head no, blushing incessantly as everyone tried to make sense of the situation.

Ororo raised a quizzical eyebrow at her girlfriend, wishing for her to explain herself. "Jean?"

"It seems" the Professor began excitedly "that we have two reasons to celebrate today."

"NO WAY!"

"I'm so proud!"

"Zat is vonderful!"

"Have you considered baby-proofing the boathouse yet?"

"Happy for ya Jeanie"

"Way t'go Scooter."

"Sugah, that's amazing! Scott, yah old dawg!"

"I call Uncle!"

"How far along are you?"

It was the only comment or question that Jean could ever fathom a response to. "About two months. We have tons of time."

* * *

"Remy, Ah don't understand something." Rogue stopped short of her bedroom. After celebrating the all-around great news, everyone disbursed from the front hall to carry on with their own daily plans. The southern couple decided to take an 'official' step towards an idealistic life together by moving into one room. Therefore, they planned the rest of their day around moving Gambit out of his bedroom, right into Rogues (this would no doubt become a huge affair after sorting through all of his personal belongings…the man had too much for his own good, you'd swear he was a girl). 

"Wha', chère?"

"Why didn'tcha try tah win me back? Yah know…when Ah was with Joe?"

Gambit paused for a minute to reflect, and then turned to face Rogue. "Din' ever really tink 'bout dat before." He looked down to hold both her hands in his, and looked back up into her eyes. "Guess dere wuz noting to 'win' if it not a gamble no more. An' Remy knows, he's a gamblin' man. Like I said chère, 'been waiting t'give you dat ring a long time now."

"An' yah just _knew _Ah'd be your gal?"

"Always."

Rogue stared into his burning eyes. They held so much expression, so much truth. After all of the crap they had been through, everything that tried and tested their relationship, she couldn't believe that they had managed to make it this far. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her face close to his, so that they were mere inches away. "So, Cajun, this is it. Jus' you an' me! 'Till the ends of tahm."

"Oui."

"An' no more games?"

Gambit's eyes were suddenly hooded with desire, and devilish grin played across his face. He spoke in the most suave and sensual voice he known to man. "Oh Remy don't know bout dat." He then ran his right hand down her back and pinched her butt playfully.

With a short gasp, Rogue wedged her hands between her own body and his broad chest, pushing him away. "Oooh, Ya gettin' all cocky on me now, mistuh?" She giggled, watching him sulk at the distance that she had created between them.

"No, chère, I leave dat for de bedroom, non?" He winked.

"Oh." She moved back in as close as she could, bringing her lips to his ears and whispered "You be careful, sugah. Y'all gonna have tah start livin' up to that big mouth of yoahs." She kissed his neck just under his jaw, lingering a few moments in his arms. When she finally broke away, she seductively sashayed past him into their room, stopping only briefly to look back over her should at him to blow a kiss.

Gambit stood speechless, slack-jawed and completely aroused. Quickly coming to his senses, he closed his mouth and swallowed hard. He chased Rogue into the room, making sure to lock the door behind him.

* * *

Everything was covered in a light haze, making it hard to distinguish most details. It was a field…no, a gigantic clearing within a wooded area. Trees were rooted on either side of them, blocking anything else from view. She saw the faces of many that she recognized, alert and ready to fight. Many people gathered in the open region, conspicuously divided into two parties. Both sides were fortified with numbers, and the two groups swelled as the members fanned out across the ground. Their facial features swam and danced in a murky cloud until they settled as a more lucid image. Oh, the faces; they held such anger, such hatred. 

The left side had some recognizable members, many who filtered forwards to the front of the group. When all stood high, one man remained close to the ground. His figure appeared somewhat feeble in comparison to others, but he projected a sense of pride, as if he had nothing but conviction for his army. They would not fail, _could not_ fail, because they had his heart. It was easy to place a name to him, as well as most that stood directly by his side. The claws, the visor, the goddess, the radiant bird, the tamed monster, and even her son… yes, yes they have always been there before. But two…two in particular caught her attention. The woman, with her beautiful pallor skin and loose curls, stood confidently with her hands on her hips. And the man; he leaned forwards, shouting with such malice and disgust to the large group on the right.

The opposing side banded together through a righteous demeanor. She didn't know their names, and was skeptical if she had even seen them before, but she could easily make out the leader. Standing foreground, the tall and attractive blond woman sneered at the mutants, especially at the man reprimanding her. His insults appeared to roll easily off her back, and she seemed to find the whole situation rather amusing.

Up until that point none of the conversation had been audible, but the sounds of scraping, shuffling and wails had filled the air. A commotion of bangs and crashes ensued, but no one blinked an eye. It was only when the blond opened her mouth to speak, all went silent and the light disappeared completely. Two burning eyes emerged from the darkness, accompanied by a hair-splitting scream.

Destiny sat up in bed, shaking. Her sudden movements shook the mattress, and the body next to her stirred.

"Irene?" The voice asked groggily. "What's wrong?"

"My diary… Raven, get me my diary!"

Mystique noted the urgency in Irene Adler's trembling voice, and so she shot out of bed to fetch the book for her lover. She returned to Destiny's side with the diary and a pen, handing both to her and waiting patiently. Although Irene was blind, she began to scribble down sentences with skill, racing through the words as if she had done it a million times before. Raven Darkholme watched with curiosity, peering over the precog's shoulder at the vision she was recording. Soon, after skimming through the lengthy recordings, Mystique's face fell somber and her eyes opened wide.

"This is about Rogue! What's-"

"Shh!" Destiny held up her hand to quiet the impatient woman. She returned to her scribed vision, jotting a few more notes down in silence. Her hand began to slow, and she placed the pen down in the spine of the book. She massaged her sore fingers and let out a sigh.

"Are you done? Can I see it?" Mystique asked.

Destiny handed the book to her partner, and then let her hand fall to the bed. She intertwined her fingers in the bed sheets as she waited. At a very young age, Destiny learned to deal with her blindness, and the obstacle was no longer much of a problem for her. Yet, feeling her lover stiffen beside her as she read the book, she wished she could see her face just this one time. This vision was unnerving, not just to Mystique, but to the experienced precog herself. Finally she spoke into the uncomfortable silence. "The ending scares me most."

Mystique's grip on the diary tightened. Her yellow eyes stayed transfixed to the diary even as she spoke. "Damn that lowlife Cajun; him and his wretched eyes! I'll murder him if he betrays her…I _knew_ this wedding was a bad idea! Right when she called I –"

"Calm yourself, Raven. We don't know that that is the case. In fact, we know very little…" Destiny's voice trailed off.

"You have never had visions quite like this before." Mystique stated flatly.

"Yes, it is very cryptic. The faces…and the noise. It was almost as if the two visions were fighting for prominence in my mind, like…like they were happening simultaneously."

"I'm calling her back." Mystique made to get out of bed and walk towards the phone.

"No." Destiny's hand clamped down on Mystique's blue shoulder. "No, we should let things be… for now. Remember, if we act too rashly, we may change the course of history for the worse. And no good will come from disturbing her sleep tonight. Let it be, Raven. We will talk to her in good time."

Mystique stared into her lover's filmy white eyes with apprehension, but settled back down into the bed. Again, like always, Irene was right. She would just have to hunt down that horrid low-life in the morning…

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DONE!!! WOOHOO!!! So now you have to add me to author alert to see when "An Illusive Truth: Part 2" makes its debut. It's been a while since I've been able to buckle down and write. Between new years, the holidays, and my birthday two days ago I've been trying to push out some writing...this last chapter wasn't necessarily up to my standards, but I'm thrilled that it's done and out of the way. I'm ready for a brand new, exciting start!!! Hope you all are too! Can't _wait_ to show you what I've had planned out for ages!  
READ AND REVIEW!!!  
Professor Horatio Hufnagel 


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